How Bryson DeChambeau Won The 2024 US Open

For the second successive year, Rory McIlroy missed out on claiming the US Open by a single shot in 2024 - but this one was especially hard to take for the Northern Irishman. 

He had the tournament in the palm of his hands after some superb golf in the final round, only to throw it away at the end.

He made three bogeys in his final four holes to blow the chance to end his 10-year wait for a fifth major and allow Bryson DeChambeau to snatch the crown.

Featured Content

The Northern Irishman had overhauled a three-shot overnight deficit to the American to lead by two strokes with five to play but missed par putts within four feet at the 16th and 18th derailed his chances in devastating fashion.

DeChambeau clinched his second major title after a sensational 50-yard escape from a bunker that he described as "the shot of my life" followed by a four-foot putt for a winning par.

"That was huge, to get up and down and win this prestigious championship - that will be the highlight of my life," added DeChambeau, who won $4.3m, which was $2m more than for his victory in 2020.

It is the fourth time McIlroy had finished second at a major since winning his fourth at the US PGA Championship in 2014.

It was a thrilling climax to a gruelling test over four days at Pinehurst’s brutal Number Two course in North Carolina. 

The first 14 holes of the final round were dominated by McIlroy as he hauled in third-round leader DeChambeau thanks to some superb long-range birdie putts.

However, McIlroy's touch on the greens completely deserted him when it mattered most as he missed from inside three feet on the 16th then four feet on the final green after a wayward drive to present DeChambeau, in the group behind, with the opportunity to seal victory.

"Rory is one of the best to ever play," said DeChambeau. "Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special. For him to miss that putt [on 18], I'd never wish it on anybody. Luckily, things went my way."

The champion's own trip down the 18th was pretty eventful, as he found a waste area off the tee then the bunker short of the green with his approach.

However, the 30-year-old continued the superb scrambling that had kept him in with a chance during a poor day of ball-striking by splashing out and holing a putt of a similar length that McIlroy had missed moments earlier. Crucially, DeChambeau's putt was straight uphill, while McIlroy's was downhill and with a big left-to-right swing.

As the popular American celebrated wildly amid raucous scenes around the 18th green, a dejected McIlroy watched on from the scoring room before quickly departing without talking to the media.