Bryson DeChambeau’s rebirth as man of the people
For all of the mad scientist stuff adopted by Bryson DeChambeau – innovatively playing with single-length irons, mathematically mapping out golf courses and even putting his golf balls into buckets of Epsom salt to test their “out-of-balanceness” – the human side was evidenced in the wake of his second US Open win.
Aside from his devotion to the late Payne Stewart, and symbolically placing a flat cap atop to the trophy, DeChambeau explained how he had “dug myself out of a pretty deep hole” to rid himself of personal demons.
It was around the time of his departure from the PGA Tour to LIV that DeChambeau’s game was in decline. As he put it, “My golf swing wasn’t doing well. Ball striking was terrible. Putting wasn’t great ... but people said continuously, ‘Dude, you’re good. Don’t worry about it. You got a great life to live. There’s a lot more to life than golf.’”
And the rebirth of DeChambeau was certainly evident in his dealings with the spectators and others at Pinehurst.
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Of his changed approach, almost becoming the new version of Arnold Palmer in his interactions, he said: “So, that’s how I’ve grown. I’ve realised that there is more to life than just golf. Treating others, yourself first and foremost, respecting yourself, is super important to being able to treat others with respect as well.”
“That’s one of the big things that I’ve learned. I’m not perfect. I’m human. Everyone’s human. Certainly those low moments have helped establish a new mind frame of who I am, what’s expected, what I can do and what I want to do in my life.”
Leona Maguire’s title defence does not go to plan
Leona Maguire’s defence of the Meijer Classic on the LPGA Tour didn’t exactly go as planned – a tied-65th finish – but the Co Cavan golfer will aim to bounce straight back with a strong performance at this week’s KPMG LPGA Championship outside Seattle in Washington state.
Both Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are in the field for the third major of the season, and the two have also secured their spots on the Irish team for the Olympics in Paris with the end of the qualifying process concluded.
Maguire’s successor as Meijer champion produced an emotional winner, with world number two Lilia Vu – who missed the recent US Open due to injury – starting the final round eight shots back and going on to win a playoff with Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim.
“I think this is the most meaningful win,” said Vu of her fifth LPGA Tour career win, “because there was a time two months ago where I was just crying on the range not being sure if I would every play a tournament again without pain.”
Word of mouth
“It’s an amazing journey. It really shows that in golf, it can go really fast one way and really fast also the other way” – Matthieu Pavon after his first top-5 finish in a major championship at the US Open. The Frenchman, a breakthrough winner on the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance earlier this season, was ranked 173rd in the world this time last year but moved to 20th following Pinehurst.
By the numbers
5 — This week’s OFX Irish Legends at Seapoint Links in Co Louth – June 19th-22nd – will include five major champions in the strong field: Ian Woosnam (1991 Masters), Paul Lawrie (1999 Open), Shaun Micheel (2003 US PGA), Michael Campbell (2005 US Open) and Angel Cabrera (2007 US Open and 2009 Masters). It is the first Legends Tour event to ever feature five major champions.
On this day ... June 18th, 2000
In arguably the greatest performance in any Major championship, Tiger Woods was a runaway 15-stroke winner of the US Open at Pebble Beach.
There was remarkable symmetry in the feat: it was the 100th US Open and it was Woods’s 100th tournament as a professional.
Just 24 years of age at the time, Woods compiled rounds of 65-69-71-67 for a total of 12-under-par 272, with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els joint runners-up on 287. Pádraig Harrington finished in tied-fifth.
Jesper Parnevik had played in one of the earlier rounds with Woods and didn’t hold back on the mesmerising display from the champion:
“He had some Jedi powers; he could pretty much will the ball in the hole. And sometimes I swear he did because I would think the ball was going to miss or already had missed, and it would go in sideways. That’s some strong-ass Ob-Wan Kenobi/Jedi stuff going on.”
X/Twitter Twaddle
As a golf fan that was epic to watch. Pinehurst was amazing. Such unbelievable heartbreak for Rory, but that up and down by @b_dechambeau on 18 was as good as it gets under pressure. Congrats on your 2nd US Open Bryson – Luke Donald, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, shows his magnanimity.
Listen, Rory’s game is in great shape. It’s a loss and sure, it’ll hurt. But the Open is just around the corner and he will have the chance to win – veteran caddie Craig “Wee Man” Connelly provides words of comfort to McIlroy.
Bryson is a STALLION! What a thrilling US Open and amazing performance. Congrats on a great win @b_dechambeau. No one works harder, deserves it more and is more fun to watch – Phil Mickelson tips his cap to his fellow LIV player.
Know the Rules
Q: In strokeplay, a player played from outside the teeing area and hit the ball out of bounds. They go to correct their mistake by playing another ball from the correct teeing area. What is the ruling?
A: The player’s next stroke from the tee will be their third. This is covered by Rule 6.1b, which deems the player only gets two penalty strokes. The ball played from outside the teeing area was not in play, so the fact it came to rest out of bounds was irrelevant and the stroke itself did not count.
In the bag - Bryson DeChambeau
US Open
Driver – Krank Formula Fire Pro (5 degrees)
3-woods – Krank Formula Fire (12 degrees), Krank Formula Fire (13 degrees)
Irons – Avoda Prototype (5-PW)
Wedges – Ping Glided 4.0 (45, 50, 56 and 60 degrees)
Putter – SIK Pro C-Series Armlock/LA Golf Proto
Ball – Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash
