US Open 2020: Bryson DeChambeau Storms to First Major Title at Winged Foot, New York
-6 B DeChambeau (USA); E M Wolff (USA); +2 L Oosthuizen (SA); +3 H English (US); +4 X Schauffele (USA); +5 D Johnson (US), W Zalatoris (US) Selected others: +6 R McIlroy (NI), J Thomas (USA), T Finau (USA); +7 L Westwood (Eng), P Reed (USA); +8 P Casey (Eng); +10 J Rahm (Spa); +15 S Lowry (Ire)
American Bryson DeChambeau produced a beautiful final round to win the US Open with six shots and the first major title of to claim his career.
The 27-year-old was the only player to break par at the notoriously difficult Winged Foot, in New York.
Known for its great hitting power, the world's number nine showed maturity and composure to win an impressive three under 67 to win on six under par.
Matthew Wolff faded on the back nine, shot 75 to finish second on grade.
Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who finished third in two over, and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland were the only non-Americans to place in the top 10.
Worldwide number four McIl Roy finished joint eighth to sixth after 75 on the last day with two double bogeys, while England's Lee Westwood was a step back.
DeChambeau, who started day two behind 21-year-old overnight leader Wolff, was the only player to score an under par round on Sunday.
He was in control by the time they got to the last piece after playing the first nine in 33 shots – two under par and then he had one birdie and eight pars in its last nine holes.
Wolff, hoping to become the first rookie to win the championship since Francis Ouimet in 1907, dropped four shots on the run-up as the pressure increased.
DeChambeau becomes only the second player to win the US Open Men's Winged Foot with a score below par, joining 1984 champion Fuzzy Zoeller.
"It's just an honor, it's been hard work", he said
"When I was nine, I thought for it first that this could become reality. I made an eagle, I had shocked myself to do that, and I thought "I can do it".
"Then I said & # 39; no, you have to focus on every hole & # 39; Throughout the back nine I kept saying "no, you've got three, four, five holes to go" whatever it was.
"I had to stay focused and make sure I executed every shot the best I could do."
& # 39; Scientist & # 39; DeChambeau proves the doubters wrong
Bryson DeChambeau was the only player to put the tournament under par
DeChambeau & # 39; s unique methods have divided opinions since turning professional in 2016. Fans find them innovative, critics call them irritating.
The former physics student's experiments saw him become & # 39; The Scientist & # 39; tinkering with oversized grips, cutting all of his bats to the same length, and most recently heaping up more than 40 pounds in the past year.
That helped turn him around last season as the tallest average driver on the PGA Tour and he said leading up to the US. Open he would try to overwhelm the difficult West Course at Winged Foot.
DeChambeau claims to have fueled his muscle growth with a daily diet of 3,000-3,500 calories containing 400g of protein, and his tee length has sparked debate as to whether tournament balls should be be introduced.
But despite all the tinkering, chunking, and striving for power, the American showed great calm and an air of calm to carry out his game plan on a beautiful final day at Mamaroneck.
The obsessive DeChambeau found himself on the training course under the spotlight on Saturday night after hitting just three fairways on a third -round 70, and the work paid off
He wiped Wolff's lead from two shots within four holes. Wolff bogeyed the par-three third before DeChambeau rolled his opening bird of the day on fourth.
When Wolff dropped another shot out of five, DeChambeau was the lone leader.
Both then handcuffed the eighth to give the rest of the field a pinch, only to card a pair of eagles on the fifth ninth to make it a two-horse race .
It soon became a DeChambeau procession.
A frustrated Wolff, who reached a superb 65 on Saturday to lead on five under, fell away with bogeys on 10 and 14, before a double bogey on 16 ended all hope which he had on the win in his second major appearance.
"I've fought hard. Go my way," said Wolff. "But the first US Open, second place is something to be proud of."
DeChambeau, who finished in fourth place with Wolff in last month's US PGA Championship, pitched at 11 and went on to complete a bogey-free back nine.
It meant that since he went to the 18th tee six shots ahead, there would be none of the drama that accompanied the latter. US Open staged at Winged Foot, when Geoff Ogilvy won by one stroke in five after Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie bogeyed the final double.
Instead, DeChambeau could look at the camera and send love to his family as he walked the final fairway before rolling into a par putt and throwing his arms in the air in pleasure. [1 9459005]
He becomes only the third player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods won an individual NCAA title, the US amateur title and a US Open.
McIlroy & # 39; s hopes over the first
Four-time Champion McIlroy said he felt he had a chance if he made his way to the last within six shots day.
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And that was the gap with leader Wolff when he turned off on Sunday, but his hopes of winning a second US Open title and first major in six years were quickly unraveled with a double bogey in the beginning. ]
McIlroy & # 39; s tee shot hit the fairway and he was on the green in two, only up to four putts from 30 yards after his first attempt failed over a ledge in the well surface came and rolled back towards him.
The 31-year-old added two more bogeys before firing back on the ninth and 11th, but a bogey on the 15th and a second double bogey on the 16th saw it fade again.
McIlroy & # 39; s wasn't the only drama at first, as Harris English, who the day at level par, lost his ball in the rough to the left of the opening fairway and had to return to the tee.
Club members had been spotters all week, but despite their efforts and those of Engels and playing partner Xander Schauffele, the ball could not be found within the three minute time limit.
English recovered and finished in fourth place out of three with Schauffele, one of the favorites for the tournament, a battle back.
World's Number One Dustin Johnson, who entered the week with two wins and two second places in his past four events, reached a final round 70 and climbed to a draw for sixth out of five above par.
