LIV Golf star, Bryson Dechambeau wins the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

With a one-shot lead on the 18th hole, DeChambeau scrambled to make a world-class par including an incredible up-and-down from a greenside bunker to secure the championship. Finishing at six-under, one shot clear of Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, who was searching for his first major in a major in a decade, held a two-shot lead on the back-nine. However, crucial missed putts from inside five feet on holes 15 and 18 opened the door for DeChambeau. McIlroy was visibly emotional after the loss, immediately leaving the course without speaking to the media.

DeChambeau’s finish was similar to his idol, Payne Stewart, who won the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. Both made clutch par putts on the 18th hole to win the championship.

The final round began with a final-round pairing of DeChambeau and Matthieu Pavon. The penultimate group featured McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, two top players only three shots behind.

DeChambeau’s three-shot lead narrowed on the front nine as McIlroy and Cantlay made a push for the lead.

DeChambeau was inaccurate with his driver with most of his tee shots finding the native wastelands. The main reasons for his driver woes were due to his constant tweaking and attention to detail with his equipment.

“I probably shouldn’t have changed that, I was trying to get a fresh head in there that had good curvature on the face but it was a little bit lower loft, and for whatever reason those lower lot but it’s just been missing right,” DeChambeau said.

On the back nine, it was a two-horse race between DeChambeau and McIlroy. 

With the unique setup of Pinehurst, DeChambeau was able to keep track of McIlroy despite being in two separate groups.

“It definitely pushed me, seeing him play and be in front of me definitely allowed me to focus a little bit more,” DeChambeau said. 

By the time DeChambeau was on the 18th hole he knew what he needed to do. Make a four to win the U.S. Open or make a five to go into a playoff with McIlroy.

Bryson’s caddie, Gregory Bodine, kept the message short and sweet before he hit his biggest shot of the tournament, “You’ve hit some crazy, crazy shots from 50 yards in a bunker.”

DeChambeau said that Bodine instilled the confidence he needed to hit that shot.

“I said you’re right, hand me a 55-degree and let’s do it.”

DeChambeau perfectly judges the shot, landing the ball on the front of the green, trickling to the hole, and setting up a four-foot putt for the win. 

This U.S. Open win was extremely different from his 2020 victory at Winged Foot, as there were no spectators due to COVID regulations. This week he was able to use his unique interactions with the fans to his advantage.

“Those fans out there really helped push me out there today even when stuff wasn’t going well.”

The 30-year-old wasn’t always viewed as a fan favorite and was quite a polarizing figure in the professional golf world.

During his re-brand, DeChambeau has shifted his view in the public eye. He credits some of this success to his YouTube channel.

“I think people have seen who I am on YouTube, which has been fantastic because then I get to play off of it. Just the content just just feeds itself out here and they just say things that make me interact and engage,” said DeChambeau.

During his post-round press conference, DeChambeau opened up about his mental struggles a few years ago as his game dipped and the resolution to turn his attitude around.

“For me personally, the low point was after The Masters, 2022. “There were some definite low moments that made me rethink a lot of things in life. And then where it turned the corner was a week before Greenbrier last year.”

Dechambeau dominated the LIV tournament at Greenbrier, shooting 61-58 to win by six strokes.

One of Dechambeau’s takeaways from the week is that golf must become united again.

“I’m to be quite frank, I hope we can figure things out quickly. I hope this can bridge the gap between the divided game. All I want to do is entertain and do my best for the game of golf and execute and provide some awesome entertainment for the fans.”