Bryson DeChambeau is backing Rory McIlroy to win multiple more major championships after he finished with three bogeys in four holes to hand the American the US Open title at Pinehurst no.2.
Having dropped a shot on the par-3 15th from over the green, McIlroy inexplicably missed a two and a half foot putt for par on 16, the first time he had missed from inside three feet all season.
McIlroy then found the left rough from the 18th tee and having chipped to three feet nine inches, missed the putt for a closing par to fall one behind DeChambeau who made the up and down of a lifetime to snatch the title by a shot.
“Yeah, Rory is one of the best to ever play. Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special. For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way,” said DeChambeau.
“He’ll win multiple more major championships. There’s no doubt. I think that fire in him is going to continue to grow. I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf because, to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was two ahead, I was like, Uh-oh, uh-oh. But luckily things went my way today.”
McIlroy was three-over for the last four holes and what is even more jarring is that DeChambeau was one-over himself in that stretch having three putted 15 for bogey.
The now two-time US Open winner got up and down from 55 yards out of the green side bunker for par and it is a recovery shot that will go down in US Open folklore as one of the all time great clutch shots.
“That bunker shot was the shot of my life. I’ll forever be thankful that I’ve got longer wedges so I can hit it farther, get it up there next to the hole (smiling).
“But G-Bo (caddie) just said, Bryson, just get it up-and-down. That’s all you’ve got to do. You’ve done this plenty of times before. I’ve seen some crazy shots from you from 50 yards out of a bunker. I said, you’re right; I need a 55-degree, let’s do it.
“All I was focused on was myself. Every once in a while I could hear “Rory, Rory” chants, for what he was doing, so I knew what he did based on the roars. That was actually kind of fun because it gave me the knowledge of what I had to do.
“Every time I got over the ball, Just focus. You’ve done this before. You can do it again. In the back of my mind, my dad pushing me. Payne was in the back of my mind, as well. I wanted to do it for them.”
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