American Bryson DeChambeau has won the US Open at Winged Foot to secure his first Major title.
World No.9 DeChambeau, who began the day two shots behind US Open debutant Matthew Wolff, used a mix of jaw-dropping drives and clutch putts to shoot a virtually flawless three-under-par 67 and reach six under for the tournament.
"On nine is when I first thought, OK, this could be reality," DeChambeau said of his mindset after an eagle at the par-five ninth.
"I made that eagle, long eagle putt and I shocked myself by making it, too, and I thought to myself, I could do it. And then immediately after, I said, nope, you've got to focus on each and every hole."
Wolff, appearing in only his second major, was one shot back of DeChambeau at the turn, but fell apart over a back nine that included two bogeys and a double-bogey.
A fearless DeChambeau, whose final round included an eagle, two birdies and a bogey, attacked at every chance and was the only player to break par in the final round, as he cruised to a maiden Major at his 16th attempt.
The 27-year-old, who re-emerged from the PGA Tour's three-month COVID-19 suspension in mid-June packing serious muscle and hitting a startling distance off the tee, attacked Winged Foot all week like few other golfers can.
So confident in his approach, DeChambeau unleashed his driver on practically every par-four and par-five hole, as he figured the birdie chances would outweigh the risk that Winged Foot's nasty rough created.
DeChambeau grabbed the solo lead after five holes, and hit a perfectly paced 40-foot eagle putt at the ninth to maintain a one-shot cushion in a two-horse race between him and Wolff, as they made the turn.
Yet the 21-year-old Wolff, bidding to become the first player since Francis Ouimet in 1913 to win the US Open in his tournament debut, bogeyed the 10th and 14th holes, before a double-bogey at 16.
"I battled hard. Things just didn't go my way," says Wolff. "But first US Open, second place is something to be proud of and hold your head up high for."
Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen birdied the last to finish alone in third, a distant eight shots behind DeChambeau and one shot clear of Harris English, who made a double-bogey at the first, where he lost his tee shot.
Xander Schauffele looked ready to make a back-nine charge, after making the turn fresh off back-to-back birdies, but the world No.7 made five consecutive bogeys from the 13th and finished fifth.
Reuters
