Twenty five years after Payne Stewart won in dramatic fashion at Pinehurst No. 2, another SMU golf great, Bryson DeChambeau, honored the late Mustang with clutch play on the 18th hole to capture the 2024 U.S. Open.
“That’s Payne right there,” DeChambeau screamed after sinking a par putt to win his second U.S. Open on Sunday.
A few moments later in an interview with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, DeChambeau once again pointed to Stewart.
“To Payne Stewart, he was the reason why I went to SMU. He’s the reason why I wore the cap. Pony up, that’s right. Go SMU,” DeChambeau said. Stewart also made par on the 72nd hole to win by a stroke in 1999, months before he passed away in a plane crash. “I remember Payne’s putt and how it broke up there, and I knew that was obviously huge to get up-and-down to win this prestigious championship that will be the highlight of my life. I still can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable.”
His late father was also on his mind as the round rolled on. DeChambeau celebrated his 2020 U.S. Open Championship seeing his parents on a video screen after the round.
“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,” he said. “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.”
DeChambeau went left off the 18th tee, landing in the native area that caused players troubles all weekend. He pitched out, running the ball across the fairway into a bunker some 50 yards away from the pin. An incredible sand shot left him a few feet, which allowed him to save par and earn his title.
“I can’t believe that up-and-down on the last,” he said. “That was overall probably the best shot of my life.”
As Rory McIlroy challenged DeChambeau on Sunday, chants of “Rory, Rory” and “USA, USA” went back and forth across the grounds. After joining LIV Golf, DeChambeau reinvented himself. He bought into interacting with fans, growing his YouTube channel, even briefly jumping on Instagram Live after the round to celebrate.
It all speaks to his bigger mission.
“My mission is to continue to expand the game, grow the game globally, domestically,” he said to the media after. “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.
“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.”
Now, he’s in select company. He’s the fourth player in history to win a U.S. Amateur and multiple U.S. Open championships, joining legends Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
“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.”
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