Bryson DeChambeau Had Classy Message for Rory McIlroy After Winning U.S. Open

Jun 16, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after a missed putt on the eighteenth green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after a missed putt on the eighteenth green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Bryson DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open in thrilling fashion on Sunday, beating Rory McIlroy by a stroke thanks to a world-class par on the final hole at legendary Pinehurst No. 2.

It was a heartbreaking loss for McIlroy, who had a two-stroke lead late but then missed a few short par putts, including one on the final hole, which cost him a shot at his first major championship in over a decade.

McIlroy, whose reaction to the loss went viral, quickly left the grounds after DeChambeau's winning putt and didn't speak with the media.

DeChambeau had a classy message for McIlroy during his press conference:

"Rory is one of the best to ever play," DeChambeau said. "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 and I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf."

Pretty good stuff there from the now two-time U.S. Open champ.


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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.