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Panorama

Rory McIlroy to Shorten Tournament Schedule: “It’s Been a Long Season”

Rory McIlroy has announced plans to significantly reduce his tournament schedule beginning in 2025. The Northern Irish golf star revealed that he intends to participate in only 18 to 20 tournaments per year. McIlroy shared this decision following the conclusion of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where he finished in ninth place.

He described this season as particularly challenging, especially after hitting a “wall” following the U.S. Open and still feeling the lingering effects of that intense stretch. “It’s been a long season, and I’m going to just have to think about trying to build in a few extra breaks here and there next year and going forward because I felt like I hit a bit of a wall sort of post-U.S. Open, and still feel a little bit of that hangover,” McIlroy explained in a post-tournament interview in Atlanta.

Rory McIlroy to Adjust 2025 Season Planning

The golf professional, who has regularly competed in over 20 tournaments per season in recent years, emphasized that the current season has pushed him to his limits. In the past, the PGA Tour star would typically participate in about 22 events a year, but this number is no longer sustainable given his current life circumstances. I’m usually sort of like a 22 sort of person. But again, that was when I was sort of in my 20s and didn’t have the responsibilities that I do now,” McIlroy said. As a result, he plans to limit his tournament participation to 18 to 20 events in the coming years.

This decision follows an especially dense tournament schedule. Over the past eight weeks, McIlroy has competed in six major events, including the Olympic Games in Paris and the British Open. This intense period, combined with his appearances in all three FedEx Cup Playoffs, has left him physically and mentally exhausted, according to McIlroy.

Future Outlook and Upcoming Tournaments

Although Rory McIlroy intends to reduce his tournament calendar in the future, he still faces several important tasks this season. He will compete in the Irish Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship before concluding the DP World Tour season with two final events in Dubai in November. McIlroy currently leads the Race to Dubai standings on the DP World Tour and will aim to finish the season strong before implementing his planned reduction in tournament appearances.

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Equipment

WITB: Xander Schauffele Winning Bag for The Open 2024

Xander Schauffele wins his second major title of the year at The Open Championship 2024. Before Royal Troon he did make minor changes in his equipment, compared to the US Open 2024 and the PGA Championship 2024. With the newest clubs from Callaway and his trusted Odyssey putter in his golf bag he captures the links golf major title.

US Open Golf 2024: Xander Schauffele WITB

(Image: Callaway)

Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5°)

(Image: Callaway)

Wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15°)

Driving Iron: Mizuno MP-20 HMB (3)

(Image: Callaway)

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB 24′ (4-PW)

(Image: Callaway)

Wedges: Callaway Opus (52°), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56°, 60°)

Putter: Odyssey Toulon Design Las Vegas 7CH Prototype

(Image: Callaway)

Golf ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

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Panorama

First Statement on the US Open: Rory McIlroy Left his “Own Little World”

After his bitter defeat at the US Open, Rory McIlroy announced that he would be taking a break for a few weeks. He will only return to the public eye for the Genesis Scottish Open and the subsequent Open Championship, according to a statement published by the Northern Irishman on X (formerly Twitter). This week, Rory McIlroy is on the entry list and will attempt to defend the title he won at last year’s Genesis Scottish Open. In the press conference before the start of the tournament, he talks about how he has dealt with the US Open and what comes next for him.

Rory McIlroy: First interview after his defeat at the US Open

Question: They just took a hammer and chisel a little bit to the “L.” Obviously first time we’ve had a chance to speak to you since Pinehurst. Can you put into words the actions and emotions of that final round, if you can, please?

Rory McIlroy: I think the way I’ve described Pinehurst on Sunday was like it was a great day until it wasn’t. I did things on that Sunday that I haven’t been able to do in the last couple years. Took control of the golf tournament. Held putts when I needed to. Well, mostly when I needed to. Made birdies. You know, really got myself in there. And then, look, obviously unfortunately to miss those last two putts, or the putt on 16 and obviously the putt on 18.

Yeah, it was a tough day. It was a tough few days after that, obviously. But I think as you get further away from it happening, you start to see the positives and you start to see all the good things that you did throughout the week. […]

Thinking back, yeah, maybe I was a little too aware of where Bryson was and what he was doing but it was the nature of the golf course and how the golf course flowed. After the 14th tee, you’re sort of looking at 13 green, and then I had to wait on my tee shot on 15 before he hit, or you know, to let him hit his second shot into 14. Just the way the course flowed, it just made me very aware of what he was doing at the same time. So it sort of got me out of my own little world a little bit.”

Question: And next time when you’re in that kind of position at a major on the back nine, who knows, it could be Troon next week, what do you think you would do differently or seek to do differently?

Rory McIlroy: Well, that’s the thing. Not a whole lot different. As I said, it was a great day until it wasn’t. I think I touched on it a little bit. I think if anything, I’d say my pre-shot routine got a little bit long. Started to look at the target a few more times over the ball.

And then, you know, as I said, like being very aware of what maybe some others were doing on the golf course and not really staying in my own little world for the whole 18 holes.

But really, apart from that, there’s not a lot I would do differently.

Confidence ahead of the Scottish Open: “I’m playing great golf”

Question: That point I made about a shot at redemption, is that how you look at it next week?

Rory McIlroy: It’s just another opportunity. I’m playing great golf and it’s another opportunity to see how I can hopefully handle it better than I handled it a few weeks ago.

Question: Last year, it was a remarkable birdie, birdie finish. Can you just take us back to those moments and what you remember of winning?

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, you know it was obviously a really windy day, and you know I felt like Bob he played a much tougher back nine than me with everything that was on the line but trying to win your home open and all that.

I made a couple of good putts on the back nine. I didn’t make birdie on 16 and felt like that was sort of my opportunity gone. And then to finish two, three like I did. You know, everyone talks about the 2-iron at the last but the 5-iron I hit into 17 was just as good a shot if not a little bit better.

Yeah, to hit two iron shots like that and to hole the putts what I needed to, yeah, it was awesome. Sort of I felt in some ways bad that it came at the expense of Bob but at the same time it was amazing to win a tournament that I had never won before.

Yeah, good memories and good to be back.

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Panorama

Rory McIlroy Takes Break Following Heartbreaking US Open 2024 Defeat

The Northern Irish golfer took to X on Monday to reveal that he is stepping back temporarily following a disappointing performance at the US Open 2024. McIlroy, who boasts four Major titles, plans to take a few weeks off to recover mentally and physically.

A Painful Loss at the US Open 2024

McIlroy endured a tough defeat at the US Open 2024 in Pinehurst, missing out on his first Major win in nearly a decade. With a two-shot lead and five holes to play, McIlroy seemed poised for victory. However, bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes cost him dearly. The most painful moments came with two missed short putts: a 75-centimeter putt on the 16th hole and a 1.1-meter putt on the 18th, ultimately costing him the title.

McIlroy’s Reaction and Break Announcement

In a statement on X, McIlroy announced his decision to take a break, returning only for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open. Reflecting on his loss, McIlroy emphasized looking at the positives despite the setbacks. “I have always shown resilience and will do so again,” said McIlroy. He added, “Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.” Despite the missed putts that cost him the title, McIlroy highlighted, “The positives of the week far outweigh the negatives.”

Seventeen Years of Professional Golf: A Retrospective

McIlroy has been a professional golfer for nearly two decades, starting with a spectacular win at the US Open in 2011, followed by several other Major titles. However, since his victory at the 2014 PGA Championship, he has been chasing another Major win. Despite numerous top-10 finishes in recent years, the breakthrough has eluded him. After missing the crucial putts on the 16th and 18th holes, McIlroy left Pinehurst No. 2 without speaking to the media.

Bryson DeChambeau Wins the US Open 2024

Bryson DeChambeau claimed his second US Open title, making a decisive pitch from a fairway bunker onto the 18th green and sinking the winning putt. In his statement, McIlroy congratulated DeChambeau, calling him a “worthy champion.” McIlroy departed the course shortly after the tournament concluded without addressing the media. “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now,” said McIlroy.

Support from Peers and Fans

McIlroy received an outpouring of support from colleagues and fans on social media. Shane Lowry, who won the Zurich Classic with McIlroy this year, wrote on X: “From the outside looking in, this game looks easy. But in reality, it’s the toughest of all.” Billy Horschel, speaking of his own struggles, called McIlroy “the greatest player of my generation.”

Future Plans for Rory McIlroy

McIlroy will take several weeks off to prepare for upcoming tournaments. The Genesis Scottish Open, which he won in 2023, starts on July 11, followed by The Open at Royal Troon on July 18. McIlroy hopes to return stronger and end his nearly ten-year Major drought. “I’ll take some time to process everything and build up for my title defense at the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open,” McIlroy explained.

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Highlights Tours

US Open Golf 2024: Major delivers impressive and incredible statistics

Bryson DeChambeau is the new Major winner of 2024. He beat his biggest rival, Rory McIlroy, in a tense final to claim his second US Open victory. This makes him only the 23rd player to win the tournament more than once. With a total prize money of 21.5 million US dollars, he therefore won the highest Major prize money of all time. 4.3 million US dollars was awarded for winning the US Open 2024. In addition to the prize money, there are other figures that are worth looking at: We take a look at some interesting statistics from the final round and the tournament as a whole.

US Open Golf 2024: Bryson DeChambeau’s biggest weakness

It should come as little surprise that Bryson DeChambeau, the long drive expert, played the longest average distance from the tee. With an average of 337.9 yards, he is just ahead of his strongest competitor in the tournament, Rory McIlroy with an average of 335.6 yards. However, DeChambeau’s precision seems to suffer from this enormous length. On Sunday, the most important day of the tournament, the LIV player only hit five out of 14 fairways: “Man, I felt like I was hitting the driver pretty well today. It just wasn’t starting exactly where I wanted it to.” This makes him the worst player in this ranking alongside David Puig. In the overall standings in this category, he is only tied 66th after 72 holes. The best performance in this regard was shown by Sepp Straka, who hit 49 out of 56 fairways, which equates to 88 percent.

Follow the US Open 2024 in the live ticker
Nevertheless, the eventual winner reached the greens in regulation 65 percent of the time, which only six players managed better than him. He also putted solidly with an average of 1.72 putts, but his putting in the final round was the worst of all four days of play.

Rory McIlroy’s most expensive mistake ever?

Rory McIlroy is tied 16th in the “Putting” category and is definitely one of the better putters in the tournament. However, the Northern Irishman will certainly not be able to forget one particular slip-up on the green in the battle for his tenth major title. McIlroy and DeChambeau went into the 18th hole with a total score of six shots under par each and McIlroy had the chance to hole out for par from about one meter on the green. McIlroy blundered, his ball missed the hole and he opened the door to victory for DeChambeau. Rory McIlroy has already had 496 putts from this distance this season – 100 percent of these putts made it into the hole. Except for this one, which robbed him of the chance to win the major title.

Nevertheless, McIlroy played one of only 13 rounds under par on Sunday at Pinehurst No. 2 with a 69. 71.78 was the average score of the day on the par-70 course. DeChambeau finished the day with a 71, which was his first and only round over par in the tournament. No player remained under par in all rounds. With 17 birdies, the eventual winner played more birdies than anyone else. An extreme counter-example here is Scottie Scheffler. The world number 1 played his worst tournament for a long time: Scheffler collected just four birdies over 72 holes. He usually averages 5.22 birdies per round on the PGA Tour.

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Highlights Tours

Watch: PGA Tour Highlights from Round 4 of the U.S. Open

The U.S. Open, part of the PGA Tour, is currently being held at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA. The tournament has reached its fourth and final round.

At the end of Sunday’s round, Bryson DeChambeau from the USA holds the lead with a total score of 274. Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland is in second place with a total score of 275. Tied for third place are Tony Finau from the USA and Patrick Cantlay from the USA, both with a total score of 276. Matthieu Pavon from France stands in fifth place with a total score of 277.

The best daily scores for today were recorded by Tony Finau, Russell Henley, and Sam Burns, all from the USA, with scores of -3 for this round.

A video compilation of the highlights from the round is available, capturing key moments of the fourth round as the tournament draws to a close.

The U.S. Open Highlights and PGA Tour Highlights provide an extensive overview of the decisive moments from this prestigious tournament’s final round.

U.S. Open: The PGA Tour round 4 highlights

About the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour is the largest American professional golf tour. There are 36 tournaments on the tour’s schedule this season. The tournaments mainly take place in the USA, but there are also some international venues over the course of the season. The signature events introduced in 2023 offer higher prize money and a smaller field of participants. There will be a total of eight of these events in the 2024 season. The four Majors and the Players Championship are also part of the PGA Tour. At the end of the tours season, the 70 best players in the FedEx Cup season rankings will play in a three-tournament play-off for overall tour victory and an extra 18 million dollars in prize money.

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Highlights Tours

US Open 2024: Praise for DeChambeau & Criticism of McIlroy – The Online Reactions

The final day of the US Open 2024 was not just a duel between Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, but for many spectators it was also a duel between the USA and Europe, between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour and ultimately also between a new fan favorite and another Major-disappointment. Because: McIlroy’s final round left most fans with a bad aftertaste in two respects. Golf fans on social media were not only disappointed by the Northern Irishman’s renewed failure, but also by his unsportsmanlike behavior after DeChambeau’s triumph. The latter, on the other hand, was celebrated online.

US Open 2024: Fan Favorite DeChambeau and persistent LIV criticism

After Bryson DeChambeau’s dramatic victory at the US Open 2024, social media was full of congratulations and praise for the 30-year-old, who made a particularly big impression with his incredible bunker shot and the up-and-down on 18. At the press conference, DeChambeau himself spoke of the “shot of his life” and the internet seems to share this opinion. For example, the user ‘Hunter Chandley’ wrote on X (Twitter): “Will go down as one of the best up and downs in golf history. Incredible.”

With shots like these, the LIV golfer not only earns praise, but also makes fans of the PGA Tour like X-user ‘JB Nawrocki’ long for his comeback: “Please come back to the PGA TOUR..that was an incredible up and down!”

The split between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour was also a big topic on social media and generated a lot of discussion. While some fans saw DeChambeau’s triumph as confirmation of the strength of the LIV Tour, others thought the 30-year-old should not have been allowed to take part in the first place. Thomas Cook wrote on X: “Need to get rid of all auto qualifiers for LIV players.”

In addition to clear announcements such as “LIV 1 PGA Tour 0” by Bradley Sherman on X, puns such as “We LIV for this”, “LIV, laugh, love” and “Long LIV King Bryson” also became more frequent. On a dramatic final day, not only did Bryson DeChambeau win his second major title, but LIV Golf once again made a strong case for the strength of the tour. Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, caused disappointment in the social media.

US Open 2024: Fans criticize McIlroy’s unsportsmanlike behavior

While Bryson DeChambeau is increasingly becoming a fan favorite after his victory at the US Open 2024, fans on social media are predominantly criticizing Rory McIlroy and his quick disappearance after the bitter final day defeat. The X-account ‘Pro Golf Weekly’, for example, writes: “Even worse than missing two tap-in pars to lose the US Open, Rory McIlroy refused to shake Bryson DeChambeau’s hand and or congratulate the 2024 champion. He also ignored fans as he burned rubber and left the property. Classless!”

However, the aforementioned putting chances that Rory McIlroy almost missed miserably are also causing a lot of talk online and are already being attributed to the Northern Irishman as a typical failure. McIlroy has now been winless at the majors for ten years and was possibly closer to victory at this year’s US Open than he has been for a long time. X-user ‘indigo spannerworks’ wrote: “That will haunt McIlroy for the rest of his career. Missing 2, 3 ft putts in the last 4 holes is criminal for a pro golfer.”

This opinion was shared by user ‘Franklin Sinclair’ with “As usual Rory threw it away” and ‘Albert NANA’ with “Unbelievable and Heartbreaking So close once again but …”

The US Open 2024 was a tournament that certainly deserved two winners in Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. But in the end, it was DeChambeau’s nerves of steel that decided the major, while McIlroy failed on the green. The two stars will meet again in just under a month’s time at The Open in Royal Troon, where the Northern Irishman will have another chance to win his first major in ten years.

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Highlights Tours

US Open 2024 – DeChambeau: “That bunker shot was the shot of my life”

Bryson DeChambeau beat Rory McIlroy in a dramatic final on the last day of the US Open 2024 and celebrates the second major victory of his career. A decisive moment in the triumph was DeChambeau’s dream bunker shot on the 18th, which he converted with a subsequent putt to win. In the press conference after the round, the 30-year-old spoke about the victory, his personal history and time of suffering and his rival in the final, Rory McIlroy.

US Open 2024 – DeChambeau: “I didn’t want to finish second again”

THE MODERATOR: Please join me in welcoming the champion of the 124th U.S. Open, Bryson DeChambeau. A few reactions to what just took place.

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I’m so happy I got that shot up-and-down on 18 (laughter). Oh, man, I didn’t want to finish second again. PGA really stung. Xander played magnificent.

I wanted to get this one done, especially at such a special place that means so much to me, SMU, my dad, what Payne meant to him, 1000th USGA championship. Stack them on top.

That bunker shot was the shot of my life. I’ll forever be thankful that I’ve got longer wedges so I can hit it farther, get it up there next to the hole (smiling).

I don’t know what to think. It fully hasn’t sunk in yet. I just want everybody to enjoy it, as well. As much as it is heartbreaking for some people, it was heartbreak for me at the PGA. I really wanted this one.

When I turned the corner and saw I was a couple back, I said, Nope, I’m not going to let that happen. I have to focus on figuring out how to make this happen.

I was a little lucky. Rory didn’t make a couple putts that he could have coming in. I had an amazing up-and-down on the last. I don’t know what else to say.

It’s a dream come true.

Q. Can you talk about the lie on 18. When you came up to the root, what was going through your mind?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I was actually concerned I might hurt myself getting out of that. I was trying to get TIO relief, but didn’t have anything in my way, unfortunately.

I was trying to run it left of that bunker, run it up the green, give myself a 2-putt. I had no backswing. At a certain point in time, I’m just like, okay, I have to hack it; hopefully it will go down the line, but it didn’t. It cut and it went into the bunker, one of the worst places I could have been. But G-Bo just said, Bryson, just get it up-and-down. That’s all you’ve got to do. You’ve done this plenty of times before. I’ve seen some crazy shots from you from 50 yards out of a bunker. I said, you’re right; I need a 55-degree, let’s do it.

Q. Can you describe your emotions the last four holes, the roars?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I hit a good putt on 15, 16. 17, I hit a good putt, even though it was short. I thought it was faster. 15 really stung. I had an easy putt. I was trying to get for it a little bit, got a little aggressive, hit it three feet by. That’s something you don’t do on major championship Sunday. I just consequently misread it, under-read it, lipped out on the edge.

But righted the ship. Hit a great drive. Hit a great second shot in there. Iron play was fantastic today. Thought I made it.

All I was focused on was myself. Every once in a while I could hear “Rory, Rory” chants, for what he was doing, so I knew what he did based on the roars. That was actually kind of fun because it gave me the knowledge of what I had to do.

Every time I got over the ball, Just focus. You’ve done this before. You can do it again. In the back of my mind, my dad pushing me. Payne was in the back of my mind, as well. I wanted to do it for them.

Q. The way you interact with the fans is kind of unique. Do you think we need more players like you in professional golf?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I hope so. I mean, my mission is to continue to expand the game, grow the game globally, domestically. YouTube has really helped me accomplish some of that. Consequently I think people have seen who I am on YouTube, which has been fantastic, ’cause then I get to play off of it. It just feeds itself out here.

They just say things that make me interact and engage. When is the next junior club set coming out? Another video of the junior club set. I’m just able to play off of that.

It’s direct conversations to people that truly engage with what I’m doing. It’s such an awesome, awesome platform for me to show who I truly am.

Those fans out there really helped push me out there today. Even when stuff wasn’t going well, I’m just looking on the screen back there, I have nothing there, no business even trying to go for that. But you know me; I don’t play boring golf.

Again, even though I hit it in the bunker, the fans are still chanting my name. So inspired me to get that one up-and-down.

US Open 2024 – DeChambeau: “I dug myself out of a pretty deep hole”

Q. Earlier this week you mentioned that since your dad has passed, you feel like you’ve grown a lot as a person. How specifically do you feel like you’ve grown?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I would say first and foremost I respect and understand people’s opinions. I mean, I was knocked pretty hard down in 2022 for numerous reason, numerous scenarios, numerous things. I had some great friends and great people around me tell me, Keep going, keep pushing.

So I dug myself out of a pretty deep hole. Golf swing wasn’t doing well. Ball striking was terrible. Putting wasn’t great. I had Paul, who’s on the Crushers, Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri and Charles Howell continuing to push me in the right direction. That was actually a massive help to help get me in the right mind frame from such a low point in my life.

People said continuously, Dude, you’re good. Don’t worry about it. You got a lot of great life to live. There’s a lot more to life than golf.

So how I’ve grown, I’ve realized that there’s a lot 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.

To answer your question quite frankly, what have I learned? Having the right people around you.

Q. How would you respond to people who would say that your sort of demonstrative responses and celebrations out there are an act or a schtick?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: No, that’s my passion. I mean, Tiger was an idol of mine, is an idol of mine. He’s my hero still, the way he reacted on the golf course. Payne, the way he did. Numerous others that have inspired generations that are now here have allowed that to be unique and cool.

From my perspective, I’m just passionate. I really care about doing well out here and showing the fans a side of me that was locked up for so long.

Q. Towards the end it was really you versus Rory. You were not in the same group. How much were you able to keep track of where he’s at? Do you even really want to know?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, I had to know. I mean, I had to know what I had to get done in that iron shot I hit on 17. I was trying to birdie that hole. 18, I was going to try and birdie the hole on 18, obviously, if I hit a good drive, but pulled it.

But I knew where Rory was.

After my tee shot, I was up there going, Man, if he makes par, I don’t know how I’m going to beat him. I just really didn’t know. Then I heard the moans. Like a shot of adrenaline got in me. I said, Okay, you can do this.

So I was listening the whole entire time. Even on 13, when they were chanting “Rory” after he made birdie on 13, I knew I had to drive the green. I knew I had to make birdie on that hole.

It was going to be tough. My driving wasn’t fantastic today. I got to go fix that, work on that. Man, I played some good golf even with the chanting. There was a lot of, “Go USA,” “go Europe.” It was quite a fun battle between us today.

Q. You’re someone that tries to kind of solve this equation or puzzle out there. When you get the random breaks, how do you deal with all the variables?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I go back to being a kid. So when I was a kid, I used to throw golf balls in the worst lies outside of the fairway and just learned to hit out of the worst situations to see what I could do.

That sparked a lot of my creativity. But then I’d go back and work on the mechanics really hard.

I had this unique childhood experience in golf of working on really quirky, weird things, then also working super hard on the mechanics, trying to be as machinelike as possible.

I feel like that combination allows — it just pretty much shows what I did today. In certain situations where I have no control over what’s going to happen, you got to just figure out how to will it and get it done. That creativity gets sparked.

When the greens are not perfectly flat, they’re not glass, there’s some little bumps and whatnot, being imaginative, seeing how the ball is going to curve over the edge, really getting into it in your mind is what I focus on.

So there a bit of creativity in me, even though I try to be mechanical.

Q. You mentioned some of the people surrounding you recently have helped dig you out of a dark place. Who are those people and how have they influenced you?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Oh, man. Obviously my agent, Brett Falkoff; Connor Olson, my manager. They’ve taken me and put me into a good place. I have AKA, my guys I put around me, Hudson Molthan, Hogan Molthan, Shayler, Mario Clemens, my best friend since college; Blake Jones, I talk to him all the time. Those are the people that stuck.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a couple. Adam Hurley, who’s been — he actually saw my first U.S. Open win pretty much when I met him. There’s many others that have stuck with me, been there in really tough moments.

Even Dana Dahlquist has been very instrumental and helpful and Sportsbox AI this week, gathering really cool data. I feel like I’ve put myself around positive people that have encouraged me in a positive, cool direction. I couldn’t be more excited for the future. The future is going to be fun.

Q. Doesn’t feel like too much hyperbole to feel like this is one of the great U.S. Opens in history —

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Wow.

Q. As someone who loves history, what would that mean to you if it were remembered as such?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Thankful. Just thankful. Thankful that I was a part of it. Thankful that I accomplished something I’ve always wanted to accomplish as a kid. Gratitude and thanks.

Q. What do you think you’ll remember most from the last two hours of it?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Probably my caddie telling me you can do it on 18 out of that bunker. Greg telling me, You got this shot. I’ve seen way harder shots pulled off from you.

Q. What were the unique things that you did, whether it be from an equipment side or strategy side, to prepare for Pinehurst versus, say, Valhalla or Winged Foot?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Funny enough, nothing. Literally I have the same equipment. Besides my 3-wood, actually I found a Crank 3-wood that works fantastic for me. It helped me hit it on the green in 13 and a couple other places. I’m actually happy I just got 14 clubs in my bag now, if I’m being honest with you. I’ve been playing with like 12 or 13 for the past year.

I didn’t change much, to be honest. I’ve got a high ball flight, and I use it to my advantage when I can.

Q. Do you think this week is a transformative week for you, your popularity, maybe the way golf will move forward now?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: If I’m to be quite frank, I hope we can figure things out quickly. I hope this can bridge the gap between a divided game.

All I want to do is entertain and do my best for the game of golf, execute and provide some awesome entertainment for the fans. From at least what I can tell, that’s what the fans want, and they deserve that.

You can say what’s happened in the past, you know, you were part of the reason… Let bygones be bygones and go figure it out. Let’s figure out this amazing game that creates so much positivity back to where it belongs.

Q. Greg came to you in a difficult time in his life. How did you both help each other? How has he specifically helped make you a better player and man?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Oh, man. Yeah, I was struggling. I didn’t know where my game was. I had no idea what was going on.

Greg was in a place where he was starting a business, Evergreen. He was in a place where he didn’t know what was going to go on. Some family stuff happened. It was just a weird moment for him and for me.

I guess it was fate. The two lives that were in some despair got brought together to make each other better. I feel like that’s what’s happened.

He gave me a chance. I said, I don’t know what I’m going to give you. I don’t know what game I have. You may hate what I have, and I might not like the way you caddie.

He’s very mellow, somebody that I’ve never — I’ve had a lot of A-type personalities. They’ve worked great; I’ve done very well. But he’s been a special human being for me in my life, getting me to realize what life is about. It’s not just all about golf.

He works hard. He’s a diligent worker. Brings the best out of me.

Q. Ultimately so many parts of your game, you are so specific from your equipment to the salty balls, of course. I’m just very curious to know, and you’ve posted videos on this, how clutch your fist pump training came into play here in this tournament?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Oh, man.

Q. It was used. I just got to know.

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I worked hard on it. That last celebration, I don’t think I did that one on that video (laughter). That’s a funny question.

It was a funny video. I don’t practice or train. If anything, on my YouTube channel, I give some pretty pure emotional reactions whenever we do something cool. It kind of keeps me in the flow of it where I’m always trying to do my best for the camera. It keeps me in that mind frame of I’m an entertainer.

Leveraging and allowing me to utilize that platform has opened up a whole new aspect to professional golf where I think it’s been a little underutilized. There can be some positive growth in the game of golf with those interactions.

It makes for some cool moments. I think YouTube has really helped me achieve some of those things. Not achieve, but understand how to express yourself to the fullest of who you are.

Some people on YouTube aren’t as expressive as others. I know a bunch of them. They react accordingly. For whatever reason, YouTube just brought it all out of me.

Q. Can you explain what happened with your driver on the range this afternoon, what effect that had for you?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I probably shouldn’t have changed the heads. I was trying to get a fresh head in there. It had a good curvature on the face, but it was a little bit lower loft. For whatever reason, those lower lofted heads have been missing right. Consequently I missed it right all day. A bit frustrating, but the face that I was using for the past three days was just starting to get flat. It was a nine-and-a-half-inch curvature. I won’t go over that. Essentially the face was starting to get a little flat. I wanted to get a fresh head in.

I was driving it well on the range. On the golf course nerves got to me a little bit. I wasn’t as comfortable with it. Probably needed to work it in more, more than just hitting five balls with it.

“Rory is one of the best to ever play” – DeChambeau about Rival McIlroy

Q. I know you didn’t see his round, but can you empathize with what Rory is feeling right now?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, Rory is one of the best to ever play. Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special. For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way.

He’ll win multiple more major championships. There’s no doubt. I think that fire in him is going to continue to grow. I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf because, to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was two ahead, I was like, Uh-oh, uh-oh. But luckily things went my way today.

Q. Does Greg have any veto power at all? Are there any examples of him talking you out of something? How good are you with that? How much does that impact the way things have transpired for you since he’s been on your bag?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Sometimes I wish he’d speak up more. Sometimes I wish he’d speak less.

Does he have veto power? No. I mean, we just have a conversation about what’s the best decision for both of us. You don’t have veto power (laughter).

But we have a pure conversation about what’s going to be the best situation. We make the decision together. Whatever the result is, sometimes I’m like, Dang it, G-Bo, why didn’t we think of this? And it’s not his fault; it’s our fault together. When we win together, we win together. If we fail together, we fail together. That’s the mindset I take into it. It’s not a binary thing. It’s a connected, work-through-it-together sort of thing.

Q. I was looking at your photos from Winged Foot today, and you had a glass of chocolate milk up there with you. You said that was going to be your celebration. What are you hoping your celebration is for this one?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Oh, yeah, look, I’m not going to get into what could happen tonight (smiling). Chocolate milk will be one thing. There will be a lot of other stuff, too. There’s some sand in here, so we got to clean it out first, though (smiling).

Q. You like to do things your own way. But the money clip in the back left pocket, that was one I’ve never seen before. Is that something you do?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: To be honest, it just felt comfortable there. I don’t know why. I guess — I’m not going to say that. You guys could imagine what I could have said there.

It’s just a comfortable place to put it. I usually put it on my belt, but the belt is too thick. Then I’m like, I’ll put it in my pocket, my left-hand pocket. But then my glove is in there, and it gets stuck. I don’t have anything in my left back pocket besides my Sharpie. It was the most convenient place to put it. I’ve done it for the last couple U.S. Opens, honestly.

Q. After winning the U.S. Open the last time, the game took a dip, you struggled for that time early on LIV. What was the low point and what was the turning point?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: For me personally? Low point was after the Masters 2022. My hand got broke. It was broke, and I had to go to have surgery. I didn’t know if I was ever going to play golf. I thought there was a chance I would play high, competitive golf again, not knowing how it would affect my game and my speed and everything. Certainly going into surgery was probably the lowest, then waiting eight weeks, not knowing if I was going to be able to grip a club with the same effort and feel the same and all that, and then struggling with my game. That whole four- or five-month period was pretty rough. There were some definite low moments. Made me rethink a lot of things in life.

Where it turned the corner was a week before Greenbrier last year. I put a driver in play and a shaft combination with LA Golf, Crank head, iron shafts I’ve used for a long time. That whole combination setup just flipped the switch in me. I went and shot 61, 58 on the weekend. I’m like, Okay, Bryson’s here again. How do I turn this into major championship golf now?

So right around that time frame is when things switched. I focused a lot of my energy on how to get another major title.

Q. You obviously, like Rory, had a bit of a wait between winning majors. You had some near misses as well. How does that affect a player mentally both on and off the court, knowing you’ve got that hanging over you?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I’m sure it will fuel Rory’s fire even more. He’s a strong-minded individual.

For me, it was knowing how good my game is, how great of a place it’s in, and just continuing to execute knowing the statistics would eventually fall my way. Still hope. Golf, it’s a game of luck. There’s a lot of luck that has to happen and go your way out there.

I knew if I could give my 100% effort on every single shot, I’d give myself a good chance this week, just like I did at the PGA, just like I did at the Masters.

Rory is going to do it. I’d love to have a lot more battles with him. It would be a lot of fun. But, yeah, Rory’s going to do it at some point.

Q. The routing of this course, you mentioned you could hear the cheers and the groans, but it also allows you to see what’s going on with the group ahead of you. How much were you looking at Rory, his shots?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, pretty much trying to see where he was almost on every hole from 13 on in. I even saw on 10 where he made birdie. I’m like, Oh, man, he’s gunning, he’s going for it. So I had to put my foot on the pedal and push down pretty hard, as well.

So it definitely pushed me. Seeing him ahead allowed me to focus a little bit more.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for the time, Bryson. Again, congratulations.

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Thank you. Appreciate it.

Categories
Equipment

WITB: Bryson DeChambeau Wins the US Open 2024 With Irons From the 3D Printer

Bryson DeChambeau plays his way to victory at the US Open 2024 with a series of prototypes from the 3D printer. A look inside the Major winner’s bag shows a mixture of innovative designs and well-known classics from Ping and Titleist.

A look inside Bryson DeChambeau’s bag

As a driver and 3-wood, the long hitter relies on the Krank Formula Fire series with an LA Golf shaft specially developed for Bryson. With a 5 degree loft, the American gets the maximum out of his driver and uses his swing speed to maximise his distance from the tee. The DeChambeau special shaft is also used for the three wood, here too his choice is below the standard for this wood with a 12 degree loft.

The irons in his bag have two special features. As “one length” irons, they all have the same shaft length and should have the advantage that every shot can be played the same way. Regardless of the loft of the club, the swing does not change and should therefore provide more consistency. In addition, the heads are all 3D-printed and specially designed according to DeChambeau’s requirements.

For the wedges, he opts for the Ping Glide 4.0, the brand’s latest performance wedge. The wedges aim to score points with a soft elastomer insert in combination with carbon steel. There are also significantly more grind and loft options available in the latest version of the wedges.

The armlock putter comes from SIK and the Pro C-Series, combined with the Left Dash Pro V1x golf ball from Titleist, DeChambeau has a strong record on the greens with just one three putt for the whole tournament.

Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open Winner-WITB

Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (LA Golf Bryson Series shaft), 5 degree loft

3-wood: Krank Formula Fire (LA Golf Bryson Series shaft), 12 degree loft

Irons: Avoda Prototype (LA Golf Bryson Series shaft), 5-PW

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (LA Golf Bryson Series shaft), 46-12S @ 45, 50-12S, 56, 60

Putter: SIK Pro C-Series Armlock/LA Golf Proto (LA Golf C2L-180 shaft, JumboMax JumboFlat 17 grip)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash

Categories
Highlights Tours

Rory McIlroy Loses US Open 2024 Duel Against Bryson DeChambeau

Rory McIlroy startet his final day of the US Open 2024 right. With a birdie on hole 1 he set a tone for the day and continued to showcase impressive shots. His duel with Bryson DeChambeau was thrilling to watch and neither one was ready to let go.

US Open 2024 Final: Unrivalled Excitement

After 13 holes McIlroy was able to gain a two shot lead before the American but wasn’t able to hold it long with two bogeys following on holes 15 and 16. The later one caused by a triple putt. McIlroy fell back to -6 and a shared lead with just two holes to go. He saved par on 17 and went on to the 18th hole. After slight trouble he left himself a good par opportunity but, again failed to deliver and missed his chance for a playoff by a few centimeters right of the hole. The bogey signed the deal for DeChambeau, who took the win with an impressive par-safe on the last hole and left McIlroy with another second spot at a major championship.