Bryson DeChambeau Holds On to Win Dramatic 2024 U.S. Open Championship from Pinehurst

PINEHURST, N.C. - The final round of the 2024 U.S. Open on Pinehurst No. 2 felt more like a heavyweight prize fight than it did a golf major. Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau threw jabs and uppercuts at various times all day, on a course that doesn't lend itself well to that exercise.

In the end, it was the king of uppercuts, DeChambeau who won his second U.S. Open championship - this one in front of thousands of fans, after his 2020 pandemic U.S. Open was won in front of much smaller galleries.

The drama was high on 18, and it brought back memories of 25 years ago, when Payne Stewart won the U.S. Open on Pinehurst No. 2, with a dramatic putt on the 18th.

"That's Payne right there baby!" DeChambeau exclaimed after making his own dramatic putt for par on 18. "Can you believe that? Oh my God!"

DeChambeau made it extremely interesting though, with a wild recovery from under a tree in the native rough on the final hole. He hit his second shot into the bunker, but somehow managed to get his long shot from the bunker inside four feet for the winning putt.

"I can't believe that up and down there," DeChambeau said. "That was probably the highlight of my life."

He was aided by the fact that for the first time this season, McIlroy missed a short 3-foot putt on the 18th to drop a shot. A heartbreaking miss for the man chasing his fifth major championship.

McIlroy had a Payne Stewart pin on his hat Sunday, but he had two key misses in the last three holes.

The tide seemingly started to turn on the ninth and 10th holes, when McIlroy had back-to-back birdies. The second of those put him in a tie with DeChambeau, who was watching it all unfold from the group behind. McIroy suddenly found himself leading by two.

DeChambeau led the field by three strokes entering the final round. And he managed a birdie on 10 to counter McIlroy's, which brought him back to even for his round. But as he watched McIlroy birdie the 12th and 13th, his drives started to get in the way. He missed the fairway and found the native rough on seemingly every hole for a long stretch in the middle of the round.

Turned out though, there were still plenty of rounds left in this prize fight. A bogey on 15 for McIlroy, and yet another save from the native rough for DeChambeau on 14, brought the two back into a tie at 7-under. But the first three-putt of the tournament for DeChambeau on 15 gave McIlroy the lead back.

Most of the rest of the contenders saw things fall apart fairly early on a difficult, hot Sunday at Pinehurst No. 2. Patrick Cantlay however, managed to keep it together better than most, finishing in a tie for third, two shots back. Tony Finau was tied at 4-under, after a great 3-under round.

But all attention was on DeChambeau and McIlroy, who have made plenty of headlines the last couple of years, as some of the biggest faces of the LIV-PGA Tour split.

DeChambeau has somehow become a fan favorite, and after the win, he stood on the 18th green accepting his trophy, and said he wanted to celebrate with everyone. It'll be a celebration worthy of Pinehurst, which has seen its share of magic in golf history.

The U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst in five years, as one of three courses named an "anchor course" for the U.S. Open going forward.

PINEHURST, N.C. - They'll talk about this moment for generations to come. Bryson DeChambeau capped off one of the greatest U.S. Open finishes in history Sunday at the hallowed grounds of Pinehurst No. 2.

They'll talk about the remarkable shot from the bunker on 18 that ended up just over 3 feet from the hole. They'll talk about the battle back and forth with Rory McIlroy over the last few holes. They'll talk about the fact that he hit only six fairways in his final round.

But they'll probably talk mostly about what happened after the win. Somehow, Bryson DeChambeau managed to win over the entire crowd, and made sure to celebrate with everyone. And we do mean everyone.

He loved the interaction with the fans that he had so much, that he said he wanted everyone to get a chance to touch the trophy, because it was theirs as much as it was his. And he made good on that promise. He ran through the crowd with the biggest smile a winning golfer could possibly muster, and he let the fans do exactly what he said.

It was an endearing moment for a golfer who hasn't been the best at making friends in the golf world over the years. But something changed this weekend at Pinehurst. The feelings were palpable, and Bryson fed off them.

"Those fans out there really helped push me out there today. Even when stuff wasn't going well, I'm just looking on the screen back there, I have nothing there, no business even trying to go for that. But you know me; I don't play boring golf," DeChambeau said. "Again, even though I hit it in the bunker, the fans are still chanting my name. So inspired me to get that one up-and-down."

They'll remember this moment at Pinehurst. They'll talk about it the way they talk about Payne Stewart's magical win. They'll talk about it among the greatest major moments of all time.

And when Bryson DeChambeau talks about it, the smile on his face will be the same one he had sitting in the bunker with his second U.S. Open trophy.

They'll remember this.