Bryson DeChambeau produced a near-flawless display to overtake Matthew Wolff and win his first major as the only player under par at Winged Foot
Time to sign off. Bryson will head back into the lab, ready to cook up a winning strategy for a November Masters. Can anyone stop him? You’ll have to join Scott Murray to find out. I’ll leave you with Ewan Murray’s report.
Bryson DeChambeau is a major winner. He holds as many US Open titles as Tom Watson and Gary Player, which is one more than Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. The professor isn’t so nutty after all. He may, in fact, have changed the shape of golf inside four competitive rounds.
Related: Bryson DeChambeau does it all his own way and lands the US Open title
DeChambeau’s six-under-par total is the lowest score at any US Open at Winged Foot. He carded just one bogey today, and finished at least level in every round. He was, in truth, the only player to master this ferociously tough course over the last four days.
After bulking up and coming back to the Tour swinging, DeChambeau winning a major was always going to shake up the game. Winning in such dominant, decisive fashion could permanently change the landscape of golf.
DeChambeau says it’s “an honour” to join the list with Nicklaus and Woods. He’s full of praise for coach Chris Como, who he credits with the transformation in his physique and technique that has led him here.
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” he adds. “To be in that company, it’s special, I’ll forever appreciate that. On nine, that was the first time I thought ‘this could be a reality’. I shocked myself by making that eagle putt, but then I told myself ‘no’. Just play the next hole.”
Presentation time! DeChambeau puts on the Jack Nicklaus medal, and lifts the US Open trophy. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it!” he says.
Bryson starts by thanking his sponsors, his backroom team – and he also has words of encouragement for John Pak, the leading amateur in this year’s tournament. DeChambeau is the third player to win the US amateur title and the US Open; the other two are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
DeChambeau showed barely a flicker of emotion out there, but the sight of his parents on a video screen sets him off. “Thank you for sacrificing everything for me,” he says. “You’ve worked so hard for this, you deserve it so much,” says Mum. “Do you know how many records you just set?” says Dad. It must be a little weird for Bryson not having the family here.
T6: D Johnson, Zalatoris 285.
T8: Finau, Thomas, Simpson, Z Johnson, McIlroy 286.
Can Matthew Wolff, who saw his title dream trampled, at least finish with a birdie? No – it misses by a couple of inches. That means he ends the day five-over, and bang on par for the week. He’s also finished second at his first US Open, a fine achievement. He didn’t do a whole lot wrong today; DeChambeau was just on another level.
A second bogey of the round would be absolutely fine, but Bryson wants more – and rolls in the par putt to complete a spectacular, dominant win!
The walk to the 18th green as a major winner isn’t usually like this – only a polite ripple of applause meets the champion-elect as he climbs the hill. His pitch up onto the green looks to have drifted, but spins back to within six feet. He’ll have a par putt to seal the deal …
That miss means DeChambeau has hit 23 fairways this week – an all-time US Open low, beating Ángel Cabrera’s 2007 tally of 27. His second shot rolls away from the green – one of very few outright mistakes he’s made today. It won’t matter.
DeChambeau’s final tee shot of this US Open is a fraction off the fairway. “Damn, I wanted to hit that fairway”, he mutters, still scribbling furiously in his notepad. Finally, a hint that he knows it’s close. “Mom, Dad, Garrett [his brother], love ya. One more hole.”
Bad golf logos. No further comment.
@niallmcveigh pic.twitter.com/PHt4qQSG2K
DeChambeau is in an awkward spot on the lip of a greenside bunker, and has a lengthy chat with the referee about taking a drop. Wolff just wants this over with, rolling his birdie putt up and tidying up for par. The champion-elect does the same, and takes a six-shot lead onto the final hole.
Xander Schauffele’s day did not pan out as planned, but a fifth-placed finish means he has placed in the top six at his first four US Opens. The last player to do that was Bobby Jones, back in the 1920s.
Oosthuizen and Matsuyama, the penultimate pair to go out, have had very different days. The South African birdies the 18th to finish above English in third, just two over par. Matsuyama, a real contender going into the final day, finished eight over par, tied for 17th.
On duff logos, Scott Blair says: “Jack Nicklaus has an actual Golden Bear as the logo on his Nicklaus Companies website. I’d be far more ostentatious than both of them, if I was famously successful at, well, anything.”
Harris English ends a superb week with a disappointing three-putt, missing the chance to finish third outright. He never really threatened to take the trophy home, but it’s been a great under-the-radar effort from a player who was fighting for his PGA Tour card not so long ago.
Wolff’s double bogey means DeChambeau is the only player under par – either for the day, or the whole week. He’s been absolutely dominant, and I doff my flat, Puma-emblazoned chapeau to him.
-6: DeChambeau (16)
E: Wolff (16)
+2: English (17)
+3: Oosthuizen (17)
DeChambeau powers onto the green with his second shot, then feathers his putt to within an inch of the cup. He’s played that hole perfectly. Wolff is left with a tough six-foot putt for bogey, and you know what’s coming next. It drifts wide right, and DeChambeau leads by six. He can enjoy the ride now; he’s going to be the US Open champion.
McIlroy misses a birdie chance at the 18th to wind up on a dispiriting six-over. He’s tied for eighth with a host of other big names: Justin Thomas, Tony Finau, Dustin and Zack Johnson. McIlroy’s figures rather tell the story of his week: 67-76-68-75.
To the 16th! It’s a 498-yard monster with an awkward dogleg. DeChambeau simply wallops the ball over it, a full 365 yards. Yeesh! Wolff’s tee shot looks tame by comparison, and drops into the rough. He knows it’s over, bar an absolutely spectacular collapse.
I’m far from a DeChambeau fan but snottiness towards him from “golf people” almost makes me want him to win. People from outside the sport would be really interested in this guy’s approach towards a major victory. Sneering doesn’t reflect well.
I very much agree with this – although I’ve just twigged that DeChambeau’s logo is his profile, complete with flat cap. And it’s on his flat cap. That’s a bit meta for me. Individual logos for athletes. Bad or bad? Discuss.
Another effortless iron shot sets up a birdie chance for DeChambeau on the 15th. It’s a good 30ft out, but rolling gently downhill. He sends it a foot wide – poor by his standards – but is left a tiddler for par. Wolff stays with him – that’s all he can do now – and DeChambeau holds onto his four-shot lead.
Going into the final round, you could have argued DeChambeau was under more pressure than anyone. Wolff was the leader, but there’s no shame in falling short on your debut – and everyone else was hoping for a chance to come their way. As DeChambeau steadfastly refused to buckle, they’ve fallen away one by one.
@niallmcveigh players have been closing in on cracking the code of golf since Tiger came up. If it weren’t DeChambeau it would have been someone else. It was always only a matter of time.
His game is not the prettiest to watch, and it’s been mighty slow at times today – but I admire any athlete who is prepared to rebuild their game to give themselves the best chance of winning.
-6: DeChambeau (14)
-2: Wolff (14)
+2: English (15), Oosthuizen (15)
DeChambeau makes no mistake, and now leads the US Open by four shots! Everything is coming up Bryson: third-placed Louis Oosthuizen narrowly misses a par putt at the 15th, and is now eight shots behind.
Wolff plays up and down onto the green, but leaves himself a 12-footer uphill to rescue par. It breaks left and Wolff waits for it to break back right, but it never does. DeChambeau, who chipped artfully out of the rough, suddenly has a chance from a similar distance to go four clear …
The leading pair’s straits are not quite as dire as I suggested – they’re on a gentle incline, just left of the fairway. Time for a spot of gouging. DeChambeau can’t find the green, the rough just a little too thick. Wolff gets onto the green, but watches the ball roll, roll, roll away. He’s not getting much luck out there.
Elsewhere, a nerve-tester for Louis Oosthuizen, who must sink an awkward 10-footer to save par and stay on one-over. And sink it he does! In 90 minutes’ time, that might be huge. Or it might not. No such luck for Harris English, who can’t get enough curl on a downhill, right-to-left par putt.
DeChambeau and Wolff head to the 14th, perhaps the toughest tee shot of the remaining five holes. The leader’s effort sails 300 yards but drifts left, landing in a ditch over to the left. A chance for Wolff, but to his immense frustration, he ends up in virtually the same spot.
The bogeys keep on coming – Schauffele slips back to two over, Viktor Hovland to three over. DeChambeau can afford to pump the brakes, pushing his birdie putt on the enormous 13th green to within six feet. Wolff has a better chance for birdie, but comes up six inches short – and another hole is out of the way for DeChambeau, who still leads by three.
Speaking of which, Rory McIlroy can’t land an awkward downhill par putt at the 15th, and slips back to +4. He’s tied for seventh with playing partner Zach Johnson – not a bad week at all, but what might have been, eh.
Killian Morgan offers another reason why DeChambeau, aka The Scientist, looks set to prevail: “It’s a laboratory out there. Without a crowd it becomes a less emotional event so the nerd will prevail, I guess. Awful, mechanical to watch but jeez he’s going to get it done isn’t he?”
That’s a little harsh – the power hitting and slow play can take you so far, but he’s showed plenty of skill and composure around the greens, where so many of his rivals have come undone.
-6: DeChambeau (12)
-3: Wolff (12)
+1: Schauffele (13), English (13), Oosthuizen (13)
+2: Hovland (15)
A tough break for Wolff, whose excellent approach shot catches the wrong part of an undulating green and spins some 20ft back. He’s not happy, dropping an F-bomb or two on his long walk up to the green. His birdie effort is close, but not close enough.
DeChambeau has a chance to extend his lead with an extreme left-to-right breaker. It’s wide of the mark, but he’ll tap in for par. Wolff at least rolls in a tricky par to keep the margin at three shots.
Can anybody from the chasing pack put pressure on our leader? He’s still capable of blowing up, even if there’s been no sign today. Oosthuizen is heading in the wrong direction, caught up in rough on the 12th but scrambling to save par.
At the 13th, a tremendously tricky up-and-down green causes both Schauffele and English to drop shots. They’re now seven shots behind DeChambeau. Has ‘The Scientist’ found the formula for a first major?
DeChambeau’s power has attracted headlines, but his coolness and consistency have got him into this position. All the more impressive given his struggles just a couple of months ago:
Related: Andy Murray can show DeChambeau a thing or two about longevity in sport | Kevin Mitchell
… because from the back of the green, DeChambeau rolls in a brilliant birdie to go three shots clear! He’s turned a two-shot deficit into a three-shot advantage, and is now undeniably the man to beat.
Wolff is in the right spot, but he can’t execute his approach shot with the wedge, sending it into rough to the right of the green. A poor effort, but he recovers by digging out for a chance at par.
DeChambeau is onto the green from his own particular spot of bother, but feels like the bounce was unfair. “That’s too soft!” he bellows. “That was a great shot.” Positivity is everything …
DeChambeau’s tee shot on the 11th zips dangerously close to a bunker, coming to rest in rough just in front of the sand trap. Wolff can’t match his opponent for distance, but finds a better line and rocks up nicely on the fairway.
As for Rory McIlroy, he continues a tidy round with pars at the 12th and 13th. That opening double bogey looks to have left him too much to do – he’s eight shots behind leader DeChambeau.
“How?!” shouts an irked Matthew Wolff, as his par putt fades left. He’s seen a couple of those drift away today, and DeChambeau punishes him. A rare defensive putt sets him up for par, and a two-shot lead!
Elsewhere, Dustin Johnson signs off with an even-par 70. He finishes the tournament five over; if not for going three-over on the opening day, he would have been right in the mix.
Can we now call this a two-horse race? Maybe not quite yet. Wolff ends up in a horrible spot on the 10th; he’s in thick rough, and has to chop it out with an almost horizontal swing. Smoother sailing for DeChambeau, and he’s lining up a 40ft birdie putt as the shadows begin to lengthen.
Harris English has been battling hard since that unfortunate double-bogey on the first, and he tickles in a birdie at the 11th to get back to level par. Meanwhile, Louis Oosthuizen gives himself too much to do on the 10th green, and drops a shot. That means there are four men under par for the week, and all four are American.
-5: DeChambeau (9)
-4: Wolff (9)
E: Schauffele (11), English (11)
+1: Oosthuizen (10)
That passage of play had echoes of Wolff’s maiden PGA Tour title, last year’s 3M Open. DeChambeau sank an eagle, and Wolff immediately followed suit:
Eagle for DeChambeau! With Wolff waiting for his eagle chance, his rival sizes up a long-range effort… and sinks it. What a body blow that could be – but Wolff matches it with an eagle of his own! Absolute nerves of steel from the 21-year-old, and he stays within one.
On the par-five ninth, DeChambeau absolutely hammers his tee shot, and follows it up with an approach shot that leaves him some 40ft short of the pin. Wolff’s second effort is even better, stopping dead around 20ft north of the pin …
-3: DeChambeau (8)
-2: Wolff (8)
E: Oosthuizen (9), Schauffele (10)
+1: English (10)
+3: Thomas (16), Hovland (11), McIlroy (11)
Another birdie for Rory at the 11th – that’s two in his last three – and he joins Justin Thomas and Viktor Hovland in the they-couldn’t-could-they group on three over.
More encouragement for the chasing pack, as Bryson DeChambeau can’t sink that tricky par putt. A chance for Wolff to regain a share of the lead – but his easier chance squeaks left of the cup. Oof, that was a chance.
I dislike the US Open @niallmcveigh. If I want to spend Sunday afternoon watching blokes hack round in 77, I can do that at Mitcham Common.
Not only do they kill the spectacle with this set up, they reward defensive play. Have 6 tough holes, not 16.
Middle of the green then…
I would say that the leading pair have profited from attacking play, although that big bounce DeChambeau just got tells us the greens are firming up. It’s still better than spending Sunday on Mitcham Common – but what isn’t?
Wolff has a birdie putt from 97ft, so it’s all about getting close – which he does, rolling up to within four feet. DeChambeau chips out of the thick grass, and ends up a couple of feet behind his rival. A tricky par putt coming up …
DeChambeau drifts a few inches into rough on the eighth, and this time his follow-up shot has a little too much swazz, bouncing into a tricky spot off the back of the green. At the ninth, Xander Schauffele nicks a birdie to end his front nine even, and join Oosthuizen on level-par. Steady as she goes.
Niall McVeigh stepping back in after a quick trip to the clubhouse. Here’s Chris Collinson:
“Loving the golf but hating the awful library music being used on every cutaway to a leaderboard or ad break. Golf music on UK TV has long been in double-bogey territory compared to the peerless clubhouse leader, ITV4’s cycling coverage.”
A very respectable effort on Wolff’s 50ft birdie attempt on the seventh. He gets to within a few feet of the hole, and then makes par.
Meanwhile, DeChambeau is just off the green but can still use the putter for his second shot, and also gets within a few feet of the flag. He rolls it in to stay at -4.
Rory McIlroy misses an eagle putt by a couple of feet but he’s in seventh place on +4 after the back nine after making the birdie attempt.
The par-three seventh now for the top-two. DeChambeau’s tee shot leaves him just off the green, while Wolff uses a pitching wedge, which leaves him well short of the flag but just about on the green.
“It’s a still a good shot,” says DeChambeau after getting out of a tricky lie on the sixth. If you can’t love yourself, who can you love?
Wolff has a 20ft birdie putt to cancel out that bogey on the previous hole. It’s not a great effort and it’s hit well to the right of the hole. I’m not sure what he was trying to do and he appeared to misread the green. He redeems himself by saving par.
Ooisthuizen is not out of it yet. His birdie on the sixth takes him to -1 and he’s now three shots off the lead. With much more experience than the two men in front of him, and Wolff looking wobbly, there’s still a chance for the South African to put a run together.
Wolff’s third shot is out of the bunker on the par-four fifth. He gets out well enough, but he’s left with a tricky downhill 10ft putt to make par, which he … misses. He’s now bogeyed the two of the last three holes. Meanwhile, DeChambeau, has a 90ft putt to make birdie. We’ll forgive him for not making it. There’s a 6ft putt for him to make par and become the sole leader at -4. He sinks it too – DeChambeau now leads the US Open!
On the 18th, Jon Rahm’s bogey means he finished the tournament +9.
DeChambeau is in the bunker 233 yards from the flag on the fifth and manages to get to the front of the green, he’ll have a very long putt for birdie but should make par.
Wolff is so, so close to a birdie here, playing from the back of the fourth green to avoid some of its trickier spots. Can DeChambeau take a share of the lead? He can, draining his 12-foot birdie chance. Wolff has done little wrong, but his partner looks the man to beat – and both men are four clear of the pack.
With that, I’m handing over to Tom Lutz for a spell. Here’s the latest leaderboard:
DeChambeau’s approach shot is another beauty, finding the sweet spot on the green. Wolff’s effort drifts a touch, but just as it looks to be rolling out of range, the backspin kicks in. What a battle this is shaping up to be.
Elsewhere, first-round leader Justin Thomas creeps back into the top 10 with a birdie to go four-over for the week. Alex Norén, who hit a superb 67 on Saturday, has returned to his Friday form. He’s five-over through eight holes today.
The leading duo are taking on the fourth hole, a par-four with an unusual square green. Oosthuizen, who was the only other player still under par, has three-putted said green to slip back to even par. Word on Sky is that Winged Foot club members are disappointed with the low scores this week. Really?!
Wolff gives himself the chance to rescue par, but a gettable putt just squirms away at the last. He’s down to four-under, leading DeChambeau by one.
On the fifth, McIlroy gets close with an up-down, up-down, long-range birdie putt that is practically impossible. Schauffele has dropped a shot at the fourth while Hideki Matsuyama, a model of consistency this week, has started double, bogey, bogey to drift to +4.
A first wobble from Wolff, who skews his tee shot on the third horribly. He’ll need something special to avoid dropping a shot here … but he might have found it, drilling his second through the trees and finding the green. He was brave to take that on. DeChambeau also in a spot of bother, but chips exquisitely from the rough to within a couple of feet.
Wolff and DeChambeau, leading pair and upmarket wine producers, tackle the second hole. Both find the fairway, and lay up on either side of the green. Both roll up to within a foot on a plate-glass green, and do the necessary for par. They look like they’re playing a different course to everyone else right now.
McIlroy gets in a great position off his tee shot on the fourth, but fouls it up with a mishit approach shot that drifts left and drops short of the green. It ends up costing him another shot, and he’s out to +4, nine shots off Wolff and all but out of the running.
Jon Rahm (+7) was the only player out on the course under-par … but he’s just bogeyed the 14th. That means nobody is under par for the day. This is a US Open, alright.
The only man above Rahm in the world rankings, Dustin Johnson, nails an eagle chance at the ninth, and he’s five-over for the week. He’s even for the day, with figures of 73-70-72 – not bad for someone who has never really been in contention here.
Fine work by Xander Schauffele on the second, getting up and down from a tricky bunker to save another par. He’s even-par for the week – who knows, it might be enough? Even better news for Harris English, who gets one back as his lay-up runs all the way to the cup.
Leaderboard:
-5: Wolff (1)
-3: DeChambeau (1)
-1: Oosthuizen (1)
Even: Schauffele (2)
+1: English (2)
+2: Matsuyama (1)
On an opening hole that has given the chasing pack so much grief, Wolff and DeChambeau both find the heart of the green with their second shots! The leader is a few feet further south, and two-putts for an opening par. Can Bryson put a little pressure on? He takes on a four-footer … sent wide left.
McIlroy tidies up at the second, to loud cheers from the few fans massed behind the Winged Foot fence. Zach Johnson lays up from a bunker and watches his ball trickle mercilessly back downhill, away from the hole. He opts against going full Danny Lee, instead rescuing a bogey.
Double bogey for Matsuyama, who can’t recover from a poor tee shot. A third double at the first in quick succession after McIlroy and English. Oosthuizen drains a ten-foot par to stay at -1 and keep the leading pair from getting too comfortable.
“Evening Niall.” Good evening, Simon McMahon. “Po’ Danny Lee (see 17.25). Golf, eh? Bloody hell. Which one of you is Danny Lee? I am Danny Lee.” Safe to say, one way or another, we’ve all been there.
Here come our leading pair! Bryson DeChambeau begins two shots behind Matthew Wolff, and blasts his tee shot straight as an arrow, onto the fairway. A solid start is so important for the overnight leader … and he gets it, that twitchy, quick swing delivering a perfect opening drive.
They finally found Harris English’s ball! Alas, it’s well outside the three-minute time limit, and English is already busy mopping up for a double-bogey. Schauffele takes a par, a fine effort given the scenes unfolding around him.
Oosthuizen and Matsuyama get to tee off just a few minutes late. The South African is inches from the fairway, with his playing partner drifting further into the rough. At the second, McIlroy makes up for an errant tee shot with a delicate chip onto the green – he’s on course for a welcome par.
And if you thought that was a bad start … Harris English is unable to locate his ball in thick rough off the first, and will have to go back to the tee for his second shot. That means Oosthuizen and Matsuyama are left waiting to start their rounds. English’s first effort was not miles off-track; if fans were here, someone would have seen it land.
McIlroy’s second shot on the first gets him to the edge of the green; the trouble is, said green is the size of an overflow car park, and he has to play uphill and downwind. His putt is underhit, and rolls back downhill. He ends up with a tricky six-footer just to save bogey – and misses. Double bogey for McIlroy, and a hammer blow to his hopes.
Here’s what they’re up against on the very first hole. Schauffele and English have just teed off, both finding the rough just left of the fairway as it tapers. It’s a tough start, alright.
Another up-and-comer, Chilean 21-year-old Joaquín Niemann, double-bogeyed the first but bounces back at the third, with a tee shot that is very, very close to a hole-in-one. Perhaps golf, like cycling, is unexpectedly becoming a young person’s game …
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Matthew Wolff is out on the driving range, fiddling with his phone and trying not to look bothered. At the first, fellow young gun Viktor Hovland plays out of a bunker and misses the cup by inches – but tidies up for par.
McIlroy powers his opening tee shot straight down the middle of the fairway. Johnson doesn’t fare so well, sending his effort way, way off to the left.
For those of you asking why there have been no Rory McIlroy updates: he’s not started yet. Teeing off in five minutes, alongside Zach Johnson. Reed has bogeyed the second and slipped back to +3.
Matthew Wolff and Bryson DeChambeau have plenty in common. Both were born in California; both made their major breakthrough at August’s PGA Championship, finishing tied for fourth, three shots behind winner Collin Morikawa.
Both players are also fans of the “grip and rip” style, favouring power and distance over precision approach play. Of the 42 fairways they’ve faced so far, DeChambeau has found 17, Wolff just 12 – but their big-hitting game has repeatedly got them out of trouble.
Patrick Reed’s back-nine meltdown on Saturday saw him drop eight shots and fall apparently out of contention – but he’s birdied the first today to get back to +2. Is a heartwarming comeback on for the plucky Texan?
Here’s what Winged Foot’s tricky greens can do to a golfer. New Zealand’s Danny Lee had a par putt to finish eight-over yesterday. Six shots later:
More than 40 players are out on the course, and as it stands, just two are under par for their round: Erik van Rooyen and Lucas Herbert, who have both improved to +9 for the week. That suggests Winged Foot is set to bite back after a kinder Saturday. Here are the pin positions; plenty tucked away to make life difficult for Wolff and DeChambeau’s power game.
Tucked pins. It’s U.S. Open Sunday. pic.twitter.com/KzbRLFJ3Ii
Plenty of players are already out on the course, but the contenders will start getting under way in around an hour. All times are BST, local times are fivehours behind – so the leaders go off at 1.30pm, EST.
5.13pm: Patrick Reed (+3) & Thomas Pieters (+3)
5.24pm: Joaquín Niemann (+3) & Webb Simpson (+3)
5.35pm: Lucas Glover (+3) & Alex Norén (+3)
Hello, and welcome to the final day of the 120th US Open Championship. This could be a red-letter day, not just for the player who emerges victorious, but for the game of golf in general.
Matthew Wolff and Bryson DeChambeau will head out as the final pair after taking on a brutally tough course with power and ambition. Winged Foot is perhaps the ultimate purists’ challenge, where hitting fairways and making pars are key to success. The leading duo have ripped up that rule book, and a first major for either today might persuade others to change their game.
