The putt that barely fell into the 18th hole on the very last rotation. The tee shot that hit a tree on No.16 but careened back into the fairway. The chip-ins from off the green, the fist pumps in the air and the fist bumps with the fans.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bryson DeChambeau put on the kind of show, and got the sort of breaks, that make players larger than life and sometimes win them major titles, too. Yet somehow, when DeChambeau looked up at the scoreboard for the last time on Sunday at the PGA Championship, his name was stuck in second.
His last putt trickled in for a birdie to close a thrill-a-minute round of seven-under 64 - tied for best of the day - and put him at 20 under par. It was good enough to share the lead with Xander Schauffele and also share a piece of the major-championship scoring record.
A half-hour later, Schauffele made birdie from virtually the same angle - his putt lipped halfway around the cup before falling in - to break the tie, break the scoring record, capture his first major and leave DeChambeau stuck on one major himself.
Instead of all the fun he generated Sunday, the lasting image of DeChambeau in this one might be him standing with his hands on his hips, staring at the big board near the driving range and watching Schauffele's winning putt go in.
Once it landed, DeChambeau turned quickly and exited stage left, making his way to 18 to congratulate Schauffele.
The 2020 US Open remains his only major, but no golf fans will soon forget the charge he put on, the fun he had with the spectators, and the exhilarating near-miss in yet another heart-stopper at Valhalla.
The holes everyone will remember from the final round were 16 and 18. On 16, DeChambeau was shouting "Fore!" when he hooked his tee shot deep into the woods to the left of the fairway. It pinballed among the trees, then landed 221 yards from the pin in the fairway.
He pulled eight iron and stuck the shot to three feet, taking a monster step forward, waving his arms, then leaning forward and putting his hands on his knees, urging the ball to do exactly what it did - land and stop for his easiest birdie putt of the day.
Playing two groups in front of Schauffele, DeChambeau needed a birdie on 18 to tie and put some pressure on. He teed off into an awkward lie in a bunker to the left of the fairway, but punched a four iron out to the first cut of rough near the green.
The chip stopped 10 feet away and the putt didn't look like it had enough steam. On the very last revolution, it tumbled in. He pulled the ball from the hole, jabbed his fist in the air, then fist-bumped fans on his way off the course and back to the driving range.
It was his second dramatic act on 18. A day before, he used a six iron from 10 yards off the green to chip in for an eagle that vaulted him two shots out of the lead. It was a hint of things to come, and DeChambeau delivered all the drama, even if it didn't come with a title.
Australian Associated Press
