Golf’s ‘Mad Scientist’ Bryson DeChambeau brilliantly conjured up at a six-shot success in becoming a U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
DeChambeau, who turned 27 last week, used his new-look beefed-up appearance along with his added length of the tee, in posting a final round 67, and proudly using the new Bridgestone TOUR B golf ball that this writer had a strong hand in developing, to win at six under par.
And at the end of four of the hardest rounds in golf, and probably since the last U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006, the American was the only player to play the 72 holes of the famed Long Island course under par.
DeChambeau went into the final at three-under par trialling two shots behind fellow American Matthew Wolff.
Wolff, 21 was contesting a first U.S. Open and only his third major and looking to become the first player to win a U.S. Open since legendary amateur Francis Ouimet captured the 1916 U.S. Open at Brookline.
Bryson DeChambeau wins the 2020 US Open by six shots (Photo @USOpenGolf)
However, three bogeys in his opening eight holes was the brightest of green lights that DeChambeau, and a six-time PGA Tour winner, needed.
DeChambeau momentarily went two shots clear when he eagled the ninth but then Wolff bared a long overdue claw in following his rival into the cup also for a ‘3’.
A birdie at 10 finally put DeChambeau in front by two, and after Wolff had also bogeyed the hole, and from there DeChambeau was never headed.
DeChambeau went four clear when Wolff bogeyed 14 and it was an amazing six shots out in front and with Wolff already waving a white surrender flag, if he had one ala Fuzzy Zoeller in 1984 at Winged Foot, when he doubled the 16th.
Victory, and in only DeChambeau’s 16th major championship and his seventh U.S. Open, will lift him to a career high of No.5 in the world, and in the process he’s bumped McIlroy back to seventh.
And clearly delighting the USGA as Winged Foot organisers is that DeChambeau now becomes a double U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur winner (2015).
“The manner Bryson has won this U.S. Open has rewritten the book in how to win a U.S. Open,” said Paul McGinley speaking on SKY Sports.
“He’s been on a fast train the last couple of years but this year he’s just accelerated so much this year and it’s another big jump in his career.’
“He brought to the game something that had not been tried before and he’s been like a pioneer in the game so much so a lot more players will be looking at what Bryson has done and no doubt will be following suit.”
Twenty-one players had been under par on day one but then that was reduced to six on day two while there was just three heading into the last day.
And at the end of the 120th hosting of the U.S. Open then was one – DeChambeau.
Rory McIlroy ended his U.S. Open campaign with a disappointing five-over par 75 to share eighth place at six-over par.
McIlroy went into the final round sharing seventh place at one-over and six adrift of Wolff.
The four-time Major winner knew he had to at least match Justin Thomas’ effort of a five-under 65 on Thursday if he was to have any chance of adding a first major title to his CV in six years.
However, all hope vanished when McIlroy doubled the first. He was then four-over for his round with bogeys at four and seven. He did birdie the ninth and 11th hole but McIlroy then bogeyed 15.
Then at his 70th hole, McIlroy was well left into the trees with no option but to chip out on route to his second double-bogey of the championship before closing out with par-4. He then ended his round with a pair of pars.
Looking back, McIlroy hit six of 14 fairways and while the history books will recall he finished T8th, and a fifth top-10 in a dozen U.S. Open’s, what it won’t show is the frustration of letting slip another trophy at the game’s highest level.
“It was really difficult last day with the wind up again like it was on Friday,” he said.
“It was hard to give yourself enough chances and leave yourself in the right spots where you could make a run at putts and birdie putts and just sort of being real defensive on the greens, trying to sort of think about your next putt and where the best place to leave it is.
“Yeah, looks like everyone found it pretty tough out there. Just a tough day.”
And with DeChambeau now joining McIlroy as a fellow U.S. Open winner, McIlroy had time to praise his younger American rival
“I played with Bryson at Colonial the first week back out, and I sort of said, okay, wait until he gets to a proper golf course, he’ll have to rein it back in,” said McIlroy.
“This course is as proper as they come, and look what’s happened. Yeah, he’s got full belief in what he’s doing, and it’s pretty impressive.
“I think it’s brilliant, but I think he’s taken advantage of where the game is at the minute. Look, again, whether that’s good or bad, but it’s just the way it is. With the way he approaches it, with the arm-lock putting, with everything, it’s just where the game’s at right now.
“I’m not saying that’s right or wrong. He’s just taking advantage of what we have right now.”
McIlroy was heading home for the night before jetting off mid-afternoon Monday (US time) where he and Justin Rose will tackle the all-American duo of Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas in the opening on Tuesday of Payne’s Valley course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.
The course is Woods first public-designed lay-out and was named in honour of the late and Missouri-born Payne Stewart.
