Bryan Armen Graham’s final round report is in and with that we’re done. What a finale. Thanks for reading the blog. See you at Royal Troon!
A giddy Bryson DeChambeau is letting all the fans who want to touch the trophy touch it. The people’s champion. Astounding scenes. In its way as bonkers as the finale was. Terrific.
And where did it go right for DeChambeau? Perhaps ultimately he had fresh experience of contending in the majors (he led the Masters, he was an excellent second in the PGA Championship). He emerged from those feeling hungry and excited. At Valhalla he said: “I said it was closing time. It wasn’t but hopefully it will be closing time in the next couple of majors.” It only took one.
Where did it go wrong for McIlroy? Perhaps there were three key moments. 1. The tee shot at the par-3 15th which bounded through the green. He led then but made bogey. 2. His putting wilted from being among the best we had seen from him in recent majors to those two awful misses. And 3. Hitting driver (or hitting a bad driver) off the final tee.
What about the final round? The champion says: “Man I felt like I was hitting driver pretty well today but it just wasn’t starting where I wanted. I kept staying the course. I got out of trouble well. And, man, that last shot was probably the best of my life.”
DeChambeau briefly donned his Payne Stewart-style hat and then pointed to the skies. “I want to say Happy Father’s Day to every father out there,” he says. “Unfortunately I lost my father a few years ago. This one’s for him.”
The full trophy presentation is taking place right now. The bullish USGA Managing Director Mike Whan is delivering a speech with more energy than every Butler Cabin ceremony put together and multiplied by at least 30. And now Bryson DeChambeau is called forward. He looks understandably and deservedly delighted. He just takes a second before taking hold of the trophy and now lifts it to the acclaim of the galleries.
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Patrick Cantlay’s tied third equals his major championship best. Incredibly, it is only his second top six finish in his 30th major. “I thought the venue was great,” he just said. “The golf course was in perfect US Open shape. I’m sure looking forward to the next time it’s here.”
“One of the all-time great up-and-downs to win a major championship,” says Laura Davies of Bryson DeChambeau’s sand save at the 72nd hole. “But a bitter pill for Rory McIlroy,” she adds.
Here is the final leaderboard for the 124th US Open:
-6: DeChambeau (F)
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Finau (F), Cantlay (F)
-3: Pavon (F)
-2: Matsuyama (F)
-1: Henley (F), Schauffele (F)
Footage of a crestfallen Rory McIlroy watching the finale hits the screen. This will take some getting over. Not one missed short putt but two. And the last one will sting so much.
Bryson DeChambeau wins the 2024 US Open!
He holes the par putt and lets out a tremendous roar. Then another. And another. Arms aloft he then bellows down the camera as the sun begins to dip behind the clubhouse. “That’s Payne right there baby,” he says to the camera, holding a Payne Stewart replica hat.
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DeChambeau chops his ball from the sand and it is superb. After all the wackiness of the last few minutes he may have won the US Open with touch of magic. 4 feet for triumph.
Dave Tindall messages with the words: “There but for the grace of God …” He’s referencing the words of Henry Longhurst when Doug Sanders missed a tiddler which McIlroy has just replicated.
DeChambeau faffed about for a while and then seemed to make a quick decision. He just bunted the ball forward and has clattered his second shot to a bunker some way short of the green. An absolutely bonkers 15 minutes.
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However! DeChambeau’s tee shot has settled by a tree root and he is bent down with a large part of the tree weighing down on him. He’s preparing to hack it out. Nick Faldo is bewildered that both he and McIlroy took driver.
McIlroy settles over the par putt. Don’t think of 16, Rory. Oh Lordy. A wobbly shocker. He barely tickled it and it swung across the hole, catching only an edge. He needs help from DeChambeau now.
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And, meanwhile, DeChambeau has also taken driver from the 18th tee – and found more trouble, this time to the left. Pure drama.
McIlroy has 94 feet from off the green. What a chip. A little skip as he gives the club back to Harry Diamond, his caddie. It’s still 3 feet 9 inches for the par though.
And now McIlroy. “I don’t like this,” winces Faldo. “I’m backing him,” says Riley. He duffs it. “It could have been worse, that’s all right,” says Riley. “It’s horrible,” says Faldo. Tremendous stuff. Vaguely reminiscent of the two old boys in The Muppet Show.
So, here we go. First up, DeChambeau on 17. For the birdie. And the lead. It’s short! Right line but a dribbler.
The next shot of both players will surely determine this championship. Faldo hates McIlroy’s lie up against grass in that scrub. “It’s okay! It’s okay!” cries Wayne ‘Rory Fan Club’ Riley.
A grimace from McIlroy as he walks from the 18th tee. To the bafflement of Nick Faldo in the TV booth and Wayne Riley on the course he has hit driver – and it’s one of his most errant blows of the day with that club. He’s in the scrub. Behind, DeChambeau is conducting the cries of “Bryson!” from the galleries.
DeChambeau at 17: “It’s a great shot isn’t it?” says Nick Faldo. “Another great opportunity.” 17 feet for birdie at the par-3.
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Phew. McIlroy makes par. Missing two tiddlers on the trot would have been too appalling to contemplate. He walks to the 18th tee as DeChambeau prepares himself on the penultimate tee.
Wowzers. DeChambeau’s birdie putt at 16 shaves the hole. It looked like it would drop. An agonised knee dip from him. Seconds later McIlroy escapes the bunker. Wayne Riley, on course reporter, giddily fancied he’d hole it. His par putt is in the newly nasty 3 foot range.
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Meanwhile ... a first major championship top 10 for Tony Finau in 13 starts. He made nine in 13 starts before that drought. He’s signed for a 67, -4 for the week and is currently tied 3rd with Cantlay.
DeChambeau likes his approach to 16. He lets go of the club and then bends down to watch it. Classic Bryson tells. He’s got a good hand. The ball finds the heart of the green. 22 feet for birdie coming up. Up ahead, McIlroy faces the 220 yard par-3 17th … and his tee shot finds sand.
Reader Michael Cruise writes: “DeChambeau looks very stiff under pressure.” He also looks a little fatigued, as he did at about this point last evening. His lucky break with the drive, and McIlroy’s error, ought to be a boost to the energy levels, however.
Oh dear. McIlroy misses a tiddler for par from 2 feet 6 inches. It lips out. “He’s been rock solid,” said Rich Beem, seconds before he wasn’t. They are tied at the top again!
Thanks Dave. McIlroy’s first putt at 16 runs close to the hole but doesn’t drop for birdie. Behind, DeChambeau unleashes another wayward drive but it hops, skips, jumps and skitters through the hard pan and scrub to the fairway.
And with that, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper to call this home. Fasten your seatbelts!
On 15, DeChambeau stalks his putt. He seems to have lost a bit of rhythm with the flatstick over the last couple of holes, his timing off. It’s again a tad clumsy here as he races his effort nearly four feet past. And, wow, his return putt catches the lip and it’s a bogey! Rory leads on his own again! At the same hole, Pavon makes birdie to give himself a glimmer still at -3, four back. Rory is safely on the green at 16. This is tense stuff!
-7: McIlroy (15)
-6: DeChambeau (15)
-5: Cantlay (15)
-3: Finau (17), Pavon (15)
-2: Matsuyama (16)
-1: Henley (F), Schauffele (F)
What can DeChambeau make of 16? Well, flying a towering iron to 25 feet left of the pin is what he can make of it. Chance for a birdie and at worst a par where Rory just made bogey. At the tough 540-yard par-4 16th, McIlroy thumps driver down the middle. “He couldn’t have walked it out there any better,” says Laura Davies on commentary. Cantlay also finds the fairway.
-7: McIlroy (15), DeChambeau (14)
-5: Cantlay (15)
-3: Finau (16)
-2: Matsuyama (16), Pavon (14)
-1: Henley (F), Schauffele (F)
It’s a good putt from McIlroy but that’s a bogey. Tee-shot to blame for taking four swishes there and suddenly the ball game is all tied up again at -7. Playing partner Cantlay is still in the hunt at -5, two back, and misses a decent opportunity for birdie from 16 feet which would have cut the gap to one.
McIlroy’s chip up the bank from an awkward lie behind the 15th green comes out a little hot and bounds way past the flag. It’s kind of not the worst outcome as going off the other side of the green was a possibility but the bottom line is that he has 30 feet for par. DeChambeau keeps the pressure on with a two-putt par at 14.
McIlroy ranks 1st for Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and 2nd for SG: Putting in this final round. But he’s only 50th for Approach and you sense it’s his iron play which holds the key from here. That tee-shot at 16 was a big mistake.
DeChambeau has hit just 4 of 11 fairways so far. Will it finally catch up with him? From the native area, his wedge finds the front of the 14th green but he’s a long way from the pin. Still, he’s on the putting surface which is more than can be said for Rory’s tee-shot at 15. That’s bounded through the back of the green, his ball settling near a clump of wispy grass. A very tough up and down from there. Meanwhile, Finau stays solo fourth on -3 with a 12-footer for par at 16 and gives it a fist pump.
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Rory’s greenside chip at 14 sounds a tad clunky and pulls up short. But you fancy him to make those four-footers today and he does without fuss. A difficult hole out of the way. From downtown, Cantlay shuffles his feet, eventually pulls the tigger and ends up a similar distance away on the other side of the hole. A birdie for Pavon back at 13.
-8: McIlroy (14)
-7: DeChambeau (13)
-5: Cantlay (13)
-3: Finau (15)
-2: Matsuyama (15), Pavon (13)
-1: Henley (F), Schauffele (F), Conners (16)
Cantlay is still plodding and pottering away at -5 but he doesn’t seem to have the oomph to get involved with the top two. An approach way short of the flag at 14 rather sums it up. DeChambeau misses another fairway, this time back down the 14th, but he looks to have avoided the tufts and his ball is in view.
Temporarily knocked back by that two-shot swing, DeChambeau delivers a counter-punch with birdie at 13. His eagle putt looks way short but keeps trickling and trickling to end kick-in distance away. McIlroy pulls his approach left of the 14th green but it’s pin-high and that won’t be the most difficult of chips.
Just to stand back and take stock, Rory’s -4 score is the best of the day so far. That’s how well he’s performing. Bryson is 1-over for his round. And, more good news for McIlroy, he’s drawn a good lie down the left, his ball finishing in some pine needles that won’t affect his second shot.
… but, Bryson now has a crack at the driveable par-4 13th and pounds one onto the green. He’ll have 30 feet or so for eagle. Almost certainly, DeChambeau will be able to cut Rory’s lead in half here. And maybe even reverse the two-shot swing completely after McIlroy tugs his tee-shot at 14 into spectators. Up at 18, US PGA winner Xander Schauffele makes birdie to complete a very well played 2-under 68. It’s currently worth tied sixth.
McIlroy birdies to go two clear!
Two-shot swing alert! Bryson bogeys 12; he’s down to -6. Rory birdies 13; he’s up to -8. My word, all of a sudden Rory is leading the US Open by two strokes!
-8: McIlroy (13)
-6: DeChambeau (12)
-5: Cantlay (13)
-3: Finau (15)
-2: Matsuyama (13)
-1: Henley (F), Schauffele (F), Conners (15), Pavon (12)
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Rory’s frustrating near misses in the majors – think last year’s US Open and the 2022 Open at St. Andrews – have been down in large part to a cold putter on the final day. But there’s a completely different scenario unfolding here. McIlroy ranks 2nd in the Strokes Gained Putting stats for round four and it’s fuelling his charge. It might be the difference again at the short par-4 13th. His drive leaks way right but he’s left with a chip from the tightly-mown grass surrounding the green. It’s a good one, leaving him around five feet. Back at 12, DeChambeau has to hoick out from the tufty stuff, leaving himself a wedge and a putt for par. The first part of that combination isn’t great though, so he’ll have to drain a 20-footer for par. Are we looking at a two-hole swing in Rory’s favour?
Is this a two-horse race now because, perhaps spooked a little by Rory’s putt dropping, Cantlay misses a much shorter one for par and drops back to -4. That’s now three behind the two leaders. Up at 18, it’s a frustrating bogey finish for Henley. Still, a brilliant round of 67 and that’s the clubhouse lead of 1-under. As he drops to -1, Matsuyama replaces him at -2 after a birdie at 13 which was almost an eagle after he’d driven the green and just missed with his 25-footer for a two.
Thanks Matt. And what a time to return! Rory drains his birdie putt at 12 and ties the lead again! He stands still as it drops, just a celebratory movement with the hands. Kind of letting go but not letting go. You get the feeling Rory feels things are happening. And they most certainly are. What a finish this promises to be.
Seven feet for par at 11 for DeChambeau. A nasty length but he makes it. Very solid. The narrow lead retained. And with that, I’ll hand you back to Dave!
After a superb drive at 12, McIlroy has another wedge to a green. He doesn’t appear too comfortable and pulls away from it to chat with caddie Harry Diamond. But when he finally does strike the ball he finds the heart of the green. Safe but not the worst.
-7: DeChambeau (10)
-6: McIlroy (11)
-5: Cantlay (11)
-3: Finau (13)
-2: Henley (17), Pavon (10)
The short par-4 13th could be key in the next 45 minutes. It’s playing 316 yards and can be driven. Tony Finau took aim, his ball bounded across and through the putting surface, then he got up-and-down for birdie. DeChambeau has missed the green at 11. He has a test to come.
DeChambeau’s driver is going as far right as European politics today. He loses yet another at 11 but the ball doesn’t find the trees. Instead, it gets tangled up in the scrubby grass. Famed for his big hitting, it has been his short game that has kept him clear of the chasers.
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DeChambeau lines up his short birdie putt. He reminds me of a child with a new geometry set when he does this. It’s enthusiastic but a little awkward. It works though – the putt drops. He walks to the next tee interacting with the galleries and Nick Faldo is trying – badly – to hide his confusion at such behaviour. Wonderful stuff. McIlroy’s lengthy lag putt is excellent and secures par.
At the par-5 10th DeChambeau found trouble from the tee. He shunted his ball down the fairway and has hit an excellent pitch close. He’ll have 5 feet for birdie and to regain the solo lead. Up ahead, McIlroy’s wedge to the par-4 11th is not one he likes. Finds the green but a long way from the hole.
We’ve not seen much of last month’s PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele. Don’t worry though. He’s doing Xander Schauffele things. He’s -1 for the round, level-par for the week, tied 8th and set to make it eight top 15s in a row at the championship. Yup, he’s never finished worse than 14th and is three holes from maintaining that incredible run.
Boom! Birdie for McIlroy at 10! What a way for him to start the back nine. Many putts have dribbled into holes this week. That one absolutely plopped in from 27 feet. Probably best it hit the hole but whatever. Joint leaders! Oh and hello. Patrick Cantlay does dribble one in for a birdie of his own. He is now one back of DeChambeau and McIlroy but three clear of the chasing pack.
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Low amateur update. Neal Shipley takes the honours after a head-to-head final day battle with Luke Clanton. Shipley carded a 71 to finish the week on +6 which is currently good for a share of 28th.
DeChambeau leads by one shot heading into the back nine.
It’s nip and tuck time - and we look set for a sensational finale. Hold tight.
-6: DeChambeau (9)
-5: McIlroy (9)
-4: Cantlay (9)
-2: Henley (15), Finau (11), Pavon (9)
Pinehurst No. 2 was designed by the famed Scottish architect Donald Ross. DeChambeau is clearly enjoying the test this week and he has form on Ross tracks – and form for knowing it. He won the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Ross-created Detroit GC and during that week said: “There’s a lot of bunkers at around like 290 yards. Hopefully I’ll be able to clear those and take them out of play. So, sorry, Mr. Ross, but, you know, it is what it is.” Is Ross going to bite back or are we set for deja vu?
Tony Finau isn’t done. The big man is also up to -2 for the week, alongside Henley who now has only three holes to play, and can still get involved. In the football England still lead 1-0. Why not open up another tab and keep in touch on the live blog.
A fist bump and a growl of “Yeah, let’s go!” from DeChambeau. He saves par and remains ahead. Russell Henley is on fire. Another birdie as he seeks to set a clubhouse target of note. He’s now -2 for the week.
-6: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McIlroy (9)
-4: Cantlay (9)
-2: Henley (14), Finau (10), Pavon (8)
Birdie for McIlroy at 9! His 14-foot putt wanders in two subtle directions and then drops. Meanwhile, DeChambeau impresses the TV commentary team by finding the green with his chip shot at 8 but he has 11 feet for par. Cantlay can’t follow McIlroy into the hole up ahead for his own birdie. The Northern Irishman is solo second and might be sharing the lead soon.
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Bryson in the trees. They’re not thickly wooded so there is space for his ball to re-emerge, but it’s far from ideal. The ball rests a little awkwardly on the pine straw, among the shawdows. Wayne Riley says he needs a “low slicey thing”. He has 199 yards to the green and commits to the shot. He’s back on the course but beyond the green and Riley says the next shot is “horrendous”. The Aussie on-course reporter does tend to make a meal of things for dramatic purposes but a big moment or two coming up.
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DeChambeau has crushed yet another drive, this time at the 8th. But he’s sent it clattering into the trees and it could be nasty for him. All the more important that, up ahead, McIlroy saves par after missing the green.
Henley likes a low score in the US Open. He was the first round leader in 2018 and again in 2021 when he remained tied for the lead through 54 holes. He closed 68-68 in last year’s championship.
Is there potential for a scene-stealer? Russell Henley is -3 through 13 holes and -1 for the tournament. Could he get it to -3 for the week? Would that be enough? He wouldn’t go home, let’s put it that way.
DeChambeau can’t make birdie at 7. The putt slips by and his lead remains two. At half-time in the football, England lead Serbia 1-0.
DeChambeau crushes his drive at the 7th. He really does crush the ball doesn’t he?! When the editor zooms in to allow us to see him close-to at impact it is just extraordinary. His drive runs out of gas at 341 yards and a graphic reveals it is the longest of the day at this hole. He has 88 yards to the pin and the approach hops around it but leaves no gimme. He’ll have 14 feet for birdie.
A big moment for Rory McIlroy. His approach to 7 scuttled through the green and his chip shot didn’t look good but it kept on moving toward the hole. He has nearly 6-feet for par … and makes it. Patrick Cantlay makes an excellent birdie at the same hole from short range to join McIlroy in a share of second.
-6: DeChambeau (6)
-4: McIlroy (7), Cantlay (7)
-3: Pavon (6)
-2: Matsuyama (7)
-1: Finau (8)
Canada’s Corey Conners gets his round back to level-par with a birdie at 8. His record coming into this week was a delight for those who enjoy the event form versus current form debate. He’d played the championship five times and missed the cut every time. But he’d also not missed a cut in a year (i.e. since last year’s US Open). Current form has prevailed this week – he’s also level-par for the week and currently tied 7th.
There’s quite the vibe for DeChambeau on the course. His arrival at the par-3 6th tee is Ryder Cup-like and very loud. He launches his tee shot high but it lands on the false front and dribbles back. It’s possible the caddie is getting more flak.
An excellent bunker shot from Wolverhampton’s Aaron Rai who is +1 for the tournament and tied for 10th. He always makes me think fondly of my granddad, also from the Black Country, who was quite an emotional watcher of sport and any success by a local sportsman or woman prompted tears. Tessa Sanderson’s Olympic gold? Stevie Bull playing for England? Rachel Heyhoe Flint at Lord’s? He loved it all and Rai’s progress would delight him too.
In his traditional Sunday black, Shane Lowry drains a 25-foot birdie at the 18th hole to finish +4 for the tournament. Back on the front nine, DeChambeau has found the green in three at the par-5 5th and Åberg is facing a remarkable shot with his ball hanging over the edge of a bunker. When he tries to stand conventionally he’s in the bunker with the ball at midriff height. He’s putted it, Adam Scott-style.
DeChambeau has found a terrible lie at the par-5 5th. His drive has dug deep into gnarly, tangly grass. Few golfers have more might to attack this kind of lie and he duly pummels it forward to sand but remains 35 yards from the hole with McIlroy’s nemesis behind the pin. He’s got a shot full of threat to come. Will he play safe?!?!
So close but ouch! McIlroy strikes a beautiful par putt from 22 feet and it oh-so-narrowly slips past the hole. On commentary Ewan Murray bemoans the unfair set-up of the hole and says the approach shot was one of the best of the day. Up ahead, Sam Burns is eyeing a first major championship top 10 in his 17th start. He’s -2 for the day, +1 for the week and tied 12th.
Trouble for McIlroy. A terrible lie among the hard pan sandy scrub behind the green and his bunt doesn’t find the top of the turtleback. It swings back into a genuine bunker. It is a par-5 so he can escape with a par with a good 4th shot – but he played it safe and now has a very lengthy par putt. (England are 1-0 up, by the way, courtesy of a Jude Bellingham header. )
The defending champions’s week is done. Wyndham Clark signs for a 77 and a final total of 12-over. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy’s approach to the 5th takes an agonising length of time to dribble into a back bunker and DeChambeau has made a bogey at 4 (Pavon a double bogey).
Birdie for Ludvig Åberg at the 5th - and now we have six players in red numbers. Back at the 4th Pavon has played three shots and is still off the green of the par-4.
-7: DeChambeau (3)
-5 McIlroy (4)
-4: Pavon (3)
-3: Cantlay (4)
-2: Matsuyama (5)
-1: Finau (6), Åberg (5)
“What are we doing, dude?!” cries the leader. DeChambeau’s approach to the 4th bounces through the green and he’s not happy with the club selection. Implication: it’s the caddie’s fault.
Missed green trouble for the penultimate group at 4. Cantlay, from sand, has 6 feet for par. McIlroy chips to 4 feet and Paul McGinley, on Sky Sports, is impressed. Cantlay misses his par saver, McIlroy makes no mistake.
A birdie for Pavon at 3 get him back to level-par for the round. How much is a good caddie worth? In the recently published book ‘The Secret Tour Caddy’ the anonymous author notes, among many nuggets of info, that he and his colleagues were somewhat disappointed when Matthieu Pavon and his long-time caddie went their separate ways after last year’s BMW PGA Championship. He was replaced by current bagman (the very experienced Mark ‘Woody’ Sherwood) and the caddie community soon accepted the best decision had been made because the pair won on their third start in Spain and won again on the PGA Tour in January. I messaged TSC today and he said that Pavon, “always had the potential but the minute he gets Woody on the bag suddenly he starts winning. Like everyone knew he would, apart from himself! Woody has really got rid of the mistakes on the course.” It’s going very well this week.
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Thanks, Dave. So, England are playing in the European Championship and English golfers, who might be interested in the result, are playing a major – sound familiar? It might be for Sky Sports commentator Laura Davies. Back in 1996 the final round of the Evian Masters (as it was then – it has since been retitled a championship and become a major) coincided with the Euro 96 quarter final between England and Spain. LD watched the match on a portable TV and was fined. She was gloriously unrepentant, however, and said the €50 fine was worth it. She also won the event.
And while I sit down for a bit of Father’s Day pizza and flick my eyes between the golf and the England game, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper for the next couple of hours.
Booming drive by McIlroy finds the fairway at 4. It’s been a heartening start for Rory. Meanwhile, you can find coverage of England v Serbia right here.
Is US PGA winner Xander Schauffele still in this? Birdies at 3 and 7 after an opening bogey have lifted him to even par. That’s still seven behind the man he pipped at Valhalla but there are only five players above Schauffele on the leaderboard now. A two-putt par for Rory at 3 keeps him two behind DeChambeau.
-7: DeChambeau (2)
-5 McIlroy (2)
-4: Cantlay (2)
-3: Pavon (2)
-2: Matsuyama (1)
E: Thompson (7), Schauffele (7), Kim (5), Aberg (3)
Pavon is in danger of also dropping a shot at 2 but he ranks 1st for Strokes Gained: Putting this week and rolls in the par putt to remain at -3. That’s four behind playing partner and leader DeChambeau who shows off his nifty chipping skills for an easy par save at the second. A par-par start is just fine, especially with so many others making mistakes beneath him – apart from Rory!
A bit late but here are the pin positions today.
Hole locations for Round 4 at @PinehurstResort ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/PhtzrSjHvT
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
And this is a nice touch…
The hole location on 18 today is the same as it was when Payne won in 1999. pic.twitter.com/MW75PHSRDE
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
It seems that Dechambeau cracked his driver head on the driving range although perhaps he’ll be less affected than most given how much clobber he carries around and tinkers with. He’ll need to get his short-game skills going at 2 after missing the green left.
Hatton’s 5-6-5 start has cost him four shots in the first three holes and a spiral down the leaderboard to tied 18th. Pinehurst has got him. Morikawa and Conners are also suffering, both +2 for the day and now the tournament after four holes. At least there’s a slither of good news for Aberg after his triple at 2. The Swede has bounced back with a birdie at 3 and is now tied sixth alongside Finau and Thompson at even par.
Ouch. Pavon three-putts the 1st to give one away cheaply. DeChambeau makes his par, as does Rory after finding the green at 2. There are now just five players under par as Pinehurst continues to flash its teeth.
-7: DeChambeau (1)
-5 McIlroy (2)
-4: Cantlay (1)
-3: Pavon (1)
-2: Matsuyama (1)
E: Thompson (6), Finau (3)
Scottie Scheffler’s trying week comes to an end. Well, at least he avoided arrest. Not that four straight over-par rounds of 71-74-71-72 and a tally of +8 will do much for his mood. The haircut that left him far too shorn wasn’t great either. Move on to the next one. That’ll be the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July.
DeChambeau’s approach from a divot is nicely judged. He finds the green and in a similar place to where Rory just made birdie. Matthieu Pavon changes clubs as a gust of wind comes up. “It’s downwind now,” says his caddie. The Frenchman pulls the trigger and he’s also in that 20 feet left of the flag range. At the 2nd, Aberg’s tournament is unravelling. He made a triple at the 13th yesterday, a massive punch to the gut, and he’s just scribbled another ‘7’ on his card at the par-4. In the blink of an eye he drops eight behind DeChambeau.
It’s Bryson time! The three-shot leader also goes with iron – a popular play – and finds the short … oh, wait, it lands in a divot. And an ugly one at that. Up at the green there’s a huge roar as McIlroy gets the start he wanted so badly: a birdie courtesy of a 20-foot putt. That could be a huge moment. Rory has struggled to get out of second gear in recent final rounds with a major on the line but he’s up and running here. The Northern Irishman cuts DeChambeau’s lead to two. Game on!
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Lots of talk that the course is playing a little easier and could yield something in the mid-60s but where’s the evidence? Still there’s no round – either completed or live – that is better than -2 for the day … although, scrub that! Tommy Fleetwood has just birdied 13 to go -3 for his round and +2 overall. The 2018 US Open runner-up is up to tied 16th and, gulp, he’s been joined there, but not in a good way, by compatriot Tyrrell Hatton, who has started bogey, double bogey.
Here goes Rory! McIlroy goes with iron off the 1st tee and draws one nicely into the middle of the fairway. Up at the green, Åberg and Matsuyama hole putts from 8 feet and 5 feet respectively to save par. Time for a leaderboard update although there’s not much to show yet.
-7: DeChambeau (-)
-4: Pavon (-), McIlroy (-), Cantlay (-)
-2: Matsuyama (1), Åberg (1)
-1: Finau (1)
E: Hatton (1)
The chasing pack can’t afford mistakes but that’s easier said than done at Pinehurst. Tom Kim has followed an opening birdie with back-to-back-bogeys while Morikawa has given one back at 2. Both drop to +1 and eight behind DeChambeau. That looks quite a gap now.
Some last-minute alterations from the man nicknamed ‘The Scientist’ ahead of his NASA launch in 12 minutes’ time.
After measuring the face of his driver on the range, Bryson just switched driver heads. Today should be fun!
— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) June 16, 2024
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We’ve not seen any footage yet but there could well be steam coming out of Tyrrell Hatton’s ears after a bogey at the opening hole. An approach that never found the green was the culprit there. Hatton’s hopes of coming from six back have suffered a major dent as he drops back to evens. It’a par for playing partner Tony Finau, who stays at -1. The opening five holes present several birdie chances so you sense that Hatton will have to find something at the 3rd and 5th, the two most obvious opportunities.
Nick Faldo in the Sky commentary box is talking us through how he would approach the situation facing Bryson DeChambeau today: entering the final round with a three-shot lead. Not surprisingly, the six-time major winner’s tactic would be “head down, blinkers on”. That’s obviously a stark contrast to what we’ve seen from DeChambeau this week. At one stage Bryson was even signing autographs during his round yesterday but will the winks and gurns to camera continue today with the heat on? Faldo suspects not although, put under the gun to name the winner, Faldo admits: “I’ve got a feeling that Bryson will find a way.” Fun fact: Faldo never won a US Open. His best was runner-up on just his second appearance in 1988.
Just a two-putt par for Morikawa at the 1st hole keeps him at even par. He’s been joined there by Canadian Taylor Pendrith, who has birdied the second hole after a sumptious approach and now has a 12-footer for another red circle at 3. Back at the 2nd, Tom Kim will need to hole from just over six feet to par and stay at -1. Can any of this trio get in the hunt later today?
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Collin Morikawa shot the low round of the day on Saturday, a well-crafted 4-under 66 that elevated him up to tied ninth and seven back. At the 1st, his approach from the middle of the fairway lands pin high and around 20 feet left of the flag. A chance for the double major champion and runner-up at week’s Memorial Tournament to make an immediate gain.
A tough last 20 minutes for Nicolai Hojgaard. He’s dropped a fourth shot of the day to slump to +9 and Denmark have conceded an equaliser against Slovenia. Better news though for Tom Kim, the Korean who (true story) named himself after Thomas The Tank Engine. Good job it wasn’t Spongebob Squarepants who won his heart as a toddler. Kim, the runner-up in last summer’s Open at Hoylake after a fast finish, has birdied the 1st and moved to -1 for the tournament and tied seventh. Could the 21-year-old produce something spectacular today?
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It’s an odd dynamic for the world’s best golfers playing out the final round down among the stragglers. Perform poorly in tennis and you’re going home. In golf, the frustration of not being at your best is dragged out. You’re playing on the weekend and yet know in your heart of hearts that you have absolutely no chance of winning, the thing you came here to do. Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka are suffering this feeling right now. Perhaps it explains why they seem to be rather going through the motions, both +1 after 13 holes today and sharing 39th place a whopping 14 shots off the lead.
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In the battle for top amateur, Neal Shipley has edged in front of playing partner Luke Clanton. Both started at +4 and Shipley, who traded an opening birdie with a dropped shot at 2, has remained there after five holes. Clanton is now one back after a bogey at 4.
Where’s that low round today? No-one is better than 2-under for the card. Tommy Fleetwood once closed with a stunning 7-under 63 in a US Open won with 1-over (Shinnecock 2018) so maybe the runner-up from six years ago is the one who can go low. He’s made a good start in that respect having reached the turn in 2-under 33 after red numbers at 5 and 9. That’s taken the Englishman, who is still searching for a first major win, to tied 20th overall on +3. He’s been joined there by 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry, who is -2 for the day after 8.
A couple of early birdies for Russell Henley (2nd) and Davis Thompson (1st) have taken the American duo to +1 for the tournament. That’s currently tied 12th, eight behind DeChambeau, so both are on track for a decent share of this daft amount of wonga.
There's a lot on the line today.
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
The champion will take home $4.3 million. pic.twitter.com/NFPGVoY7ns
Nicolai Hojgaard was the only Dane to make the cut and he may be a tad frustrated to be missing Denmark’s Euro 2024 opener against Slovenia. I expect the Manchester United fan will be following the live Guardian blog on his phone, snatching crafty glances on each tee box and perhaps fist-pumping after Christian Eriksen’s first-half opener. While it remains 1-0 to Denmark, his own score isn’t bringing the same joy. The Ryder Cup star is +3 for the day after 10 and +8 overall, putting him in tied 50th. Nicolai was runner-up to Matthieu Pavon in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in California. earlier this year.
Thanks Matt. As I write this, Justin Lower has just completed a solid round of 70. A player I’d like to see Bruce Forsyth say ‘hiya’ to.
Time for me to hand you back to Dave. As I do so, TV shows Patrick Cantlay making his way to the range. He’s playing with Rory McIlroy today. It’s a delicious sub-plot for the final round after their experiences at the Ryder Cup and reputed frosty relationship.
A pub quiz question for you. Which player in the field links the US Open and the European Championship? This one is a bit tentative but it’s Matthieu Pavon. Currently tied 2nd on the leaderboard, his father Michel played football for Toulouse and Bordeaux.
Do you believe in the Theory of Golfing Progression? Rory McIlroy’s recent US Open record reads: 9th in 2019, 8th in 2020, 7th in 2021, 5th in 2022 and 2nd last year. He’s only got one way to go, right?!? (Or does defeat via a play-off count as another agonising step towards the inevitable?)
Four players are 2-under out on the course. It’s the best score out there at the moment. One of them is Ireland’s Shane Lowry and it gets him upto T20. If he stays in the top 20 it will be his fifth in the last seven majors and nice preparation for the Open at Royal Troon next month.
What do you suppose the contenders will be thinking about during the final round? 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell once asked me if I could guess what he was thinking of when he went head-to-head with Tiger Woods down the back nine that Sunday. It turns out he would prepare for each tournament with mini targets like hitting 80% of greens in regulation. He’d also think of a reward and on the plane to the States that June he decided his prize for a top 10 would be a second-hand Porsche. He even wrote 997 (the model he desired) on his ball. On Friday evening he upgraded to a new one and on Saturday to a better model. And down the stretch? “I wasn’t visualising lifting the trophy or beating Tiger, I was visualising my new car – the brake calipers, the wheel arches, the exhaust!” His delight in this tale was terrific and he added that the mayor of Brighton, where he lived at the time, gave him the keys to the city which, coincidentally, granted him free parking.
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The 2014 US Open champion at Pinehurst, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, has completed his tournament. Talking to TV afterwards about the pressure the leaders will experience later on today he said: “The intensity is different to normal PGA Tour events. It’s very, very difficult. It’s about not making big mistakes. And the pin position on 18 – there will not be many birdies there. ” Kaymer played with Sepp Straka who actually did make birdie at 18 (via a 30-foot putt admittedly). Not a 2, alas (see 17:12).
Min Woo Lee left the first tee 30 minutes ago and he’s opened with two pars. The Aussie started the final round in a share of 25th and it’s familiar territory for him. Should he remain in the top 30 by the end of play it will be the eighth he has recorded in the 11 majors since the start of 2022. He was tied fifth in this championship 12 months ago in LA which remains his best finish.
Frenchman Matthieu Pavon contending this evening reminds me of this lovely little video made during the final round of the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach. It follows Jeff Lucquin (who denied Rory McIlroy a first professional win at Crans in 2008) as he watches his friend Gregory Havret play with Tiger Woods and very nearly tie the winner Graeme McDowell. It’s not in English and has no subtitles but it is friendship not French you need to understand to appreciate these few minutes of pure charm. The contrast between Lucquin and Havret is just wonderful. The former chews his fist, adopts the foetal position, is often on the verge of tears and, at one stage, repeats the word “Allez” in a desperate mantra. Meanwhile Havret strolls around as if he’s off to buy a couple of croissants from his favourite boulangerie.
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Disappointment for Austria’s Sepp Straka and Italy’s Francesco Molinari. Of a kind. Both were chasing the completion of an odd set of numbers today. They both made holes-in-one at the 9th before the cut and also have a 3, a 4, a 5, a 6 and a 7 on their cards for the week. A 2 today and they’d have been entitled to shout: “House!” Molinari couldn’t manage it and Straka needs to hole his second at 18 to tickle no-one’s fancy but my own.
Thank you Dave and good afternoon everyone. Dave has just mentioned some of the big numbers that US Open 54-hole leaders have carded in recent times and Bryson DeChambeau, although he won the 2020 championship, has gone sub-74 just twice in seven US Open Sundays. A little bit of hope for the chasers maybe.
Righty, I’m going to have a break for an hour and use a double TV system to watch the golf and catch some Slovenia v Denmark too. Check our live blog on that one here! In the meantime, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper.
A few more stats to try and frame DeChambeau’s position and chances of victory. It’s far from a given that he wins his second US Open later this evening.
Happy U.S. Open Sunday.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 16, 2024
This is the seventh time a player has led by 3+ shots entering the final round of the U.S. Open the last 20 years - 3 of the previous 6 went on to win.
By the way, Shane Lowry (Oakmont 2016), Dustin Johnson (Pebble Beach 2010) and Retief Goosen (here at Pinehurst in 2005) were the three who blew those leads. Lowry shot a 76, DJ an 82 and Goosen an 81. Blimey! Those are some collapses! Goosen was a double US Open champion at the time as well!
Perhaps a 65 is optimistic as no-one on the course is better than -2 for the day. A couple of rounds in the 60s have been recorded: a 2-under 68 by SH Kim and a 1-under 69 from 2022 US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick. Sweden’s Tim Widing (tied 20th), Matt Kuchar (tied 40th) are 2-under for their rounds through 5 and 10 holes respectively.
No change of gear from Scottie Scheffler today. Five pars and a bogey in his first six holes so far. Wayne Riley, who admits he had a picture of Seve Ballesteros on his wall growing up, reckons there’s a 5-under 65 to be had today although qualifies his prediction by adding that it’s more likey to come from the morning starters. A 65 from those lurking six or more back such as Tyrrell Hatton (-1), Tony Finau (-1), Collin Morikawa (Ev) or Tim Kim (Ev) would be interesting if DeChambeau has a wobble.
Is our leader Bryson DeChambeau any good with a lead? Here’s the tale of the tape which shows he’s converted three times on the five occasions when he’s had a piece of the lead. Interesting to note that Cantlay’s name pops up a couple of times.
2018 Memorial (outright lead), won in a playoff over Kyle Stanley and Ben An
2018 Northern Trust (outright lead), won by 4
2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children (tied for lead), won by 1 over Patrick Cantlay
2019 3M Open (tied for lead), finished T-2, 1 shot behind Matthew Wolf
2021 BMW Championship (tied for lead), lost in a playoff to Patrick Cantlay
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It Ain’t Half Hot (hitting 90 degrees and more) at Pinehurst again today which seems a good time to mention the player with the best name in the field this week: Gunnar Broin. I’d like to think he plays piano and is constantly barked at by a demonic Welsh coach. The 22-year-old has made his mark this week as one of three amateurs to make the cut. Gunnar Broin, currently +16, won’t be winning that accolade; instead, the B… O… B.O.Y.S. boys to entertain you are fellow Americans Neal Shipley and Luke Clanton at +4. Intriguingly, they’re paired together, heading out at 12.04 local (17.04 UK).
Here goes the defending champion, Wyndham Clark, at 1. Prior to that stunning victory at Los Angeles Country Club 12 months ago, his record in the majors showed MC-75-MC-MC-76-MC. Since the win: 33-MC-MC. He’s currently tied 33rd here. All very strange given that he’s world No 4 and has an excellent record in big events this season with second places at The Players Championship and Arnold Palmer invitational along with a victory at Pebble Beach. Perhaps a good round today and he can at least tick off another top 20 in a major.
Sporstpeople who have turned their reputations around. You’d have McEnroe in there, a brat who became a loveable rogue with a twinkle in his eye. Beckham as well. Once public enemy No 1 for getting sent off in the 1998 World Cup for flicking a leg but a media darling for over 20 years now. Now we must add Bryson DeChambeau. Previously dismissed as stroppy, entitled and lacking self-awareness, we’re now lapping him up. This clip would have induced eye-rolls not so long back. Instead it seems fun, quirky and engaging.
Bryson floats his golf balls in Epsom Salt.
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 16, 2024
He explains why. pic.twitter.com/z7hUYshIVN
Some wholesome content. “Daddy might make the top 50 if he pulls his finger out. Is Daddy clever?” Yep, it’s not been Jordan Spieth’s week either, as highlighted just now by a lip out at 5 which leaves him at +9 (tied 52nd).
Happy Father's Day, @JordanSpieth! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IbnR0erlTk
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
Another entry for the ‘not your week Scottie’ collection. Scheffler’s 15-foot par putt at 2 is tracking into the centre of the hole but decides ‘nah’ and breaks right across the front of it. A bogey. That’s +7. Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, is going nicely today. He’s -2 for the day after 14 but it’s all rather academic following a 79 yesterday after he’d only just made the cut on the number. Fitzpatrick is +12 and tied 64th.
What can help us decide who wins this thing later today? Gut instinct? An omen? Cold hard facts. Let’s focus on the last of those and note that each of the last four US Open champions ranked among the top 5 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee for the week. In other words, driving it well is key in this event. How do the four leaders measure up in that department so far?
SG: Off The Tee
DeChambeau – 2nd
Pavon - 20th
McIlroy - 1st
Cantlay - 36th
A tick in the box for DeChambeau and McIlroy but that’s a negative for Cantlay’s chances.
Martin Kaymer, the runaway winner here in 2014, had made a bright start today with birdies at 1 and 5 flashing away among the string of pars. But he’s given both shots back in one go via a double-bogey 5 at the par-3 9th. The German is +10 and in a tie for 57th. Korea’s Seonghyeon (SH) Kim has the best round going so far; he’s -3 after 13 holes. All very welcome after after yesterday’s 83.
It’s a while yet before we see what Bryson, Rory, Patrick and Matthieu throw at us. So what about the early play so far at Pinehurst? Scottie Scheffler was the red-hot favourite coming into this week but he only just made the cut on the number (+5). A 1-over 71 in round three confirmed he’d be among the also-rans this week so can he at least go out on a high today? He’s playing the first alongside young Irishman Tom McKibbin and has a 25-footer for birdie after finding the green. As it stands, world No 1 Scheffler is +6, 13 off DeChambeau’s lead and in a tie for 43rd. His birdie putt looks in but somehow finishes behind the back of the hole. Very much a sums up his week moment.
Preamble
It’s the final round at Pinehurst! And what a day we have in store. Will Rory McIlroy win his first major for 10 (ten!) years? Can Matthieu Pavon become the first Frenchman to win a major since Arnaud Massey in the 1907 Open at Royal Liverpool? Will Patrick Cantlay follow recent US PGA winner and great buddy Xander Schauffele by joining the majors club? Those three are all at -4 and in a tie for second but this week, so far at least, has been the Bryson DeChambeau show. The 2020 US Open winner has been charming on-course galleries and TV audiences alike and kicked clear of the field yesterday with a 67 that put him three in front at -7. Can anyone reel him in or will Bryson demolish the field as he did at Winged Foot four years ago when winning by six? Let the story unfold…
First, here’s how the top of the leaderboard looked after 54 holes ...
-7: DeChambeau
-4: Pavon, McIlroy, Cantlay
-2: Matsuyama, Åberg
-1: Hatton, Finau
E: Morikawa, Conners, T Kim
... and here are today’s tee times (BST).
1230 SH Kim (Kor), Gunnar Broin (x)
1241 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Jackson Suber
1252 Brandon Wu, Austin Eckroat
1303 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Ben Kohles
1314 Dean Burmester (SA), Ryan Fox (NZ)
1325 Sepp Straka (Aut), Martin Kaymer (Ger)
1336 Greyson Sigg, Cameron Young
1347 Nico Echavarria (Col), Brendon Todd
1358 Justin Lower, Sam Bennett
1409 Adam Scott (Aus), Brian Campbell
1425 Matt Kuchar, Frankie Capan III
1436 Adam Svensson (Can), Harris English
1447 Jordan Spieth, Si Woo Kim (Kor)
1458 Max Greyserman, Sahith Theegala
1509 Daniel Berger, Keegan Bradley
1520 Scottie Scheffler, Tom McKibbin (NI)
1531 Brooks Koepka, Tim Widing (Swe)
1542 Nicolai Hojgaard (Den), Emiliano Grillo (Arg)
1553 Isaiah Salinda, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)
1604 Cameron Smith (Aus), Wyndham Clark
1615 J.T Poston, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
1631 Shane Lowry (Ire), Zac Blair
1642 Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk
1653 Denny McCarthy, Min Woo Lee (Aus)
1704 Neal Shipley (a), Luke Clanton (a)
1715 Sam Burns, Stephan Jaeger (Ger)
1726 Brian Harman, Mark Hubbard
1737 David Puig (Esp), Thomas Detry (Bel)
1748 Akshay Bhatia, Russell Henley
1759 Davis Thompson, Xander Schauffele
1810 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Taylor Pendrith (Can)
1826 Aaron Rai (Eng), Tom Kim (Kor)
1837 Corey Conners (Can), Collin Morikawa
1848 Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
1859 Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
1910 Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy (NI)
1921 Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Bryson DeChambeau
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