Bryson DeChambeau wins thrilling US Open to leave Rory McIlroy in agony

Bryson DeChambeau has won the US Open for the second time by defeating Rory McIlroy with a one-shot difference. This has extended McIlroy's long-awaited desire for his fifth major title, adding an extra month of agony for the Northern-Irishman. This event took place at Pinehurst No 2.

The American golfer, who is 30 years old, was one of twelve players from the LIV Golf series who participated in the 156-player competition. Although he had a three-shot lead when he went to bed the night before, he lost it during the game but was able to come back from being two strokes down during the intense back nine. It was a mentally taxing battle that proved to be a challenge for the players, and McIlroy will likely regret some of the mistakes he made towards the end of the game.

McIlroy didn't manage to sink two easy putts in the final three holes, including one for par that was only four feet away on the 72nd hole. This gave DeChambeau the opportunity to secure the title with just a par. Although DeChambeau hit a tree root with his drive and his second shot landed way short of the green in a bunker, he managed to make a good third shot that brought the ball within four feet of the hole. He then successfully rolled the ball into the hole, causing him to jump around the green in excitement.

DeChambeau concluded the America's national championship with a score of one-over 71, which brought his total score for the week to six-under. This placed him one point ahead of McIlroy in what will undoubtedly be remembered as an unforgettable 124th playing of the tournament. DeChambeau's victory has earned him a place in an exclusive group of five players who have won the US Open more than once before they turned 30, including legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, and Brooks Koepka.

The battle between two top players in golf, known for their big personalities, quickly became exciting. McIlroy showed his strength by quickly catching up to DeChambeau, sinking a birdie from 20ft on the first hole before DeChambeau even began, showing he was ready to compete. This set the tone for the rest of the match.

After DeChambeau and McIlroy, the names on the leaderboard started to spread out leaving only two in the running for the top spot. Unfortunately, Ludvig Åberg, who was leading after the first two days, made a major mistake on the 2nd hole and took himself out of the competition. Matthieu Pavon tried to catch up with a birdie on the 3rd hole, but his two bogeys on the 1st and 4th hindered his progress. Hideki Matsuyama had a good start with eight pars in a row but eventually slipped up with a bogey on the 9th hole.

DeChambeau faced some tough challenges in the beginning and had a string of unfortunate events, but he managed to save his pars despite his drives landing in a fairway divot on the first hole and a bunker on the second. His lead decreased to only one after he bogeyed on the fourth, but McIlroy lost his chance moments later. Although McIlroy's approach wedge shot seemed impressive, it rolled down the hill and ended up in the sandy area. Fortunately, he was able to save bogey.

During the week, the American golfer changed his usual aggressive playing style for a more cautious and slow-paced approach, which he found unexciting. However, he couldn't resist his former ways and returned to his old habits when he confidently used his driver right from the start on the seventh hole.

When McIlroy made a 15-foot putt for birdie on the 9th hole, he moved into second place with a score of five-under and was only one shot behind the leader, DeChambeau. The weather had been cloudy and offered some relief from the heat, but it soon broke, and the conditions became similar for all players. DeChambeau had to pause his shot because of the chants of "Ro-ry! Ro-ry!" from nearby fans, but he managed to roll in a long putt to maintain his lead. He celebrated this by fist-pumping and cheering as fans roared around him, impressed with his miraculous up-and-down from the natural area.

It's not difficult to picture high-ranking individuals at NBC and the USGA headquarters eagerly anticipating a thrilling Rory-Bryson showdown during the US Open tournament's back nine on a historic American course. These two dynamic athletes, who are at odds due to professional golf's division, but united in their pursuit of victory against a punishing course that has caused many of the world's top players to concede defeat. It would be a thrilling and highly-anticipated match between two golf greats.

McIlroy managed to catch up with DeChambeau after sinking his longest putt of the week from a distance of 27 feet, scoring another birdie on the 10th hole. Just a few seconds after DeChambeau made a stunning par save, McIlroy made another challenging putt, bringing his score to seven-under and equalling DeChambeau's lead.

The crowd went wild with excitement as McIlroy managed to score his third birdie in just four holes. DeChambeau took the lead on the 10th hole after landing a great pitch shot near the green and then making a birdie putt. In between holes, DeChambeau even stopped to sign an autograph for a fan. While preparing to make a birdie putt on the 11th green, McIlroy could hear the boisterous cheers from the fans, but unfortunately, he missed the putt by just inches, keeping him one shot behind DeChambeau. However, the game was not yet finished.

Just when McIlroy's huge fans took a deep breath, he hit a drive on the 13th hole that went far right into the pine straw next to the fairway. However, he managed to recover and make a birdie, allowing him to increase his lead by two shots. DeChambeau was very close to getting an eagle on the 13th but ended up making a birdie, which meant he was only one shot behind the leader. Unfortunately, McIlroy made a mistake on the 16th, causing him to lose a shot and leaving the contenders tied at seven-under.

There was a moment that seemed to be very important on the 15th green. DeChambeau had just missed a putt that would have put him in the lead again, but then he missed an easy putt and fell one stroke behind. However, McIlroy also missed an easy putt on the 16th, so they were tied at six-under with two holes left to play.

In the last hole of the tournament, McIlroy's shot with a driver went into a difficult area, but he managed to get it closer to the hole with a chip shot and run. He needed to make a 4-foot putt to stay in the running to win, but he missed it, which was his second miss in the last three holes. This made it easier for DeChambeau to win the title if he could make a par shot from where his ball had landed. While McIlroy was at the scoring area, casually eating a Powerbar, DeChambeau made a great shot that left him only four feet away from the hole. A handshake later, DeChambeau was the winner of the tournament.

DeChambeau's victory continues a period of American dominance in golf's four most important matches that hasn't been witnessed in nearly 50 years. Over the past six majors, six different players from the United States have emerged victorious, beginning with Brooks Koepka's win at the US PGA Championship in the prior year, and followed by Wyndham Clark at the previous year's US Open, Brian Harman at the Open, Scottie Scheffler at Augusta, and Xander Schauffele at Valhalla last month.

This marks the lengthiest streak of American champions since a series of Americans, including Nicklaus, Trevino, Irwin, and Watson, won 13 times consecutively between 1974 and 1977.

A year ago, McIlroy came second at the US Open in Los Angeles Country Club. He said that when he wins his next major championship, it will be very satisfying. He even claimed that he wouldn’t mind experiencing 100 more Sundays like that one if it means he could win a major championship again.

Following a heartbreaking near loss in North Carolina's sandy hills, the hope for obtaining a significant championship will have to be postponed.