Bryson DeChambeau puts on a show but somehow fails at the PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The putt that barely tipped on the 18th hole. The tee shot hit a tree at number 16 but came back into the fairway. Chip-ins from the green, fist pumping in the air and fist bumping with the fans.

Bryson DeChambeau put on the kind of show and got the kind of breaks that make players larger than life and sometimes win them major titles, too. Yet when he looked at the scoreboard for the last time Sunday at the PGA Championship, his name remained second.

One of golf’s most entertaining characters sank his final birdie putt to close out a thrilling 7-under-par round of 64 – tied for best of the day – and put him into a tie for the lead at 20 below normal. .

Half an hour later, Xander Schauffele birdied from virtually the same angle – his putt circled the cup before falling – to break the tie, breaking the all-time record for major goals and capture his first major.

DeChambeau didn’t walk away with a shiny new trophy, but with all the positives that came out of his thrilling performance in Valhalla.

“I gave it my all,” he said. “I put in as much effort as I could and knew my ‘B’ game would be good enough. Clearly someone (else) played incredibly well.

Warming up for a possible playoff, DeChambeau stood with his hands on his hips, looked at the big board near the driving range and watched Schauffele’s winning putt go in. Once he landed, DeChambeau quickly turned and left stage left, heading to the 18th to congratulate the winner.

“I seriously thought 18 was going to do it,” DeChambeau said. “Then when I saw what Alex was doing, I was like, ‘Man, he’s playing amazing golf.'”

The 2020 US Open remains DeChambeau’s only major title, but golf fans won’t soon forget the charge he launched, the fun he had with fans and the exhilarating near miss in a another favorite in Valhalla.

Schauffele said he knew he would be an underdog if the tournament featured extra holes.

“I really didn’t want to go to the playoffs with Bryson,” he said. “Going up to 18 with his length, it’s not something I was going to have a lot of fun with.”

DeChambeau’s most memorable moments occurred on the 16th and 18th. On the 16th, DeChambeau was yelling “Fore!” when he hooked his tee shot deep into the woods left of the fairway. It flipped among the trees, then landed 221 yards from the hole in the fairway.

He pulled the 8-iron and placed the shot to 3 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 its simplest. birdie putt of the day.

“I looked at (caddie Greg Bodine) and I was like, ‘OK, this is what it takes to win major championships.’ Breaks like that need to happen,” DeChambeau said.

He also needed a birdie at the 18th to tie Schauffele. DeChambeau launched into an awkward lie into a bunker left of the fairway, but hit a 6-iron to the first rough shot left of the green.

The chip stopped at 10 feet and the ensuing putt didn’t seem to have enough steam. During the very last revolution, he fell. DeChambeau pulled the ball out of the hole, threw his fist in the air, then punched the fans with his fist as he left the course and returned to the driving range.

“I (thought I) left it short again like a you-know-what, like an idiot,” he said. “Luckily it happened and it was a great joy to finish a round like that in a major championship. Pretty proud of myself, yeah.

Only a day before, DeChambeau led the way on the 18th when he used a 6-iron 10 yards from the green to chip in for eagle. That pushed him to within two shots of the lead and it was a hint of things to come.

Once one of the most controversial figures in professional golf, DeChambeau has cut back on weightlifting and toned down the “Mad Scientist” act that first propelled him into the spotlight. (Although he still places great importance on the major role of advanced equipment in his game.)

He joined LIV Golf. This victory, combined with two other top-10 finishes in major tournaments over the past 12 months, helps put to rest rumors that LIV players cannot compete at the highest level.

He refines his personality on YouTube – gobbling up his online subscribers and fans during the course.

On one of golf’s biggest stages, he delivered some much-needed drama and good times for a sport at a crossroads. The best news for DeChambeau and his fans: He’s convinced there’s more to come.

“I really surprised myself, impressed myself and I know I can do it again,” he said. “It’s just going to take time.”

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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf