Bryson DeChambeau attributes his confidence during tough situations to his childhood practice. Getty Images While Bryson DeChambeau captured the 2024 U.S.
Open title at Pinehurst No. 2 , he did so by playing with a bit of fire during Sunday’s final round. Heading into Round 4, DeChambeau carried a three-stroke cushion, which isn’t quite comfortable, but it’s cozy enough that he could make a few mistakes and still find himself in contention.
With players like Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay nipping at his heels on the leaderboard, DeChambeau needed to bring his A-game. He was far from it, only hitting 5 of 14 fairways, 11 of 18 greens, and shooting a 1-over-par 71 — his highest score of the week. A perfect example of his inconsistency during the final round occurred during the 18th hole on Sunday, when DeChambeau found himself in a horrid situation during the most critical moment of the entire tournament — when all he needed was a par to win.
After hitting his tee shot left and into the native area, his ball was resting on a root in the ground and underneath a tree. He didn’t just need to shorten his swing to avoid the branches above him, he also had to make sure he made ball-first contact to avoid losing the U.S.
Open in heartbreaking fashion. “I was actually concerned I might hurt myself getting out of that,” he said after. He stepped over the ball, then paused.
He talked with rules officials about taking relief. The request was denied. He then worked on fee.
