Bryson DeChambeau wins US Open Thriller Bryson DeChambeau has won the US Open for a second time after beating Rory McIlroy by one shot in a thrilling finale. The 30-year-old American, one of only a dozen players from LIV Golf in the 156-player field, lost his three-shot overnight lead before an intense and dramatic last few holes saw Rory McIlroy lose the championship when it looked like it was his. McIlroy missed two tricky downhill putts with break from only three feet over the last three holes, including a heartbreaking miss from 2 and a half feet for par on the 72nd hole, that left DeChambeau needing only a par four at the last hole for the title. In a greenside bunker in two at the last with an extremely difficult shot - the 2020 Champion hit an incredible bunker shot to within four feet, where he the holed the winning putt. DeChambeau signed for a one-over 71 to finish six-under for the week and one better than ­McIlroy in the 124th playing of America’s national championship that surely will rank among its most unforgettable. He became only the fifth player since the second world war to win the US Open more than once aged 30 or younger, ­joining a roll of honour including Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka. “I still can’t believe that up-and-down,” DeChambeau said while taking in a replay during the trophy ceremony. “Probably the best shot of my life.” As for McIlroy, he cut a composed but despondent figure, declining interviews in the aftermath and leaving Pinehurst almost immediately after his rival’s final putt dropped. The American had spent the week trading his familiar bomb-and-gouge style for a more patient, conservative golf he described as “boring”, but old habits die hard and he began to break that pledge approaching the turn, when he daringly hit a driver straight off the 7th tee. The duo are divided by professional golf’s civil war but were united here by a brutally difficult course that had led dozens of the world’s best to fly the white flag. The pars felt like birdies and birdies felt like eagles on a baked-out back nine with every shot from hole to tee freighted with heart-pounding tension. The 15 scores under par after Thursday’s first round was down to six. McIlroy finally went level with DeChambeau curling in his longest putt of the week from 27 feet for a second successive birdie on the 10th, sending the masses surrounding the green into hysterics - this was just the beginning of the thriller which was to follow. DeChambeau nosed ahead on the 10th, hitting an excellent pitch close after a badly struck fairway shot and depositing for birdie, stopping between holes to sign an autograph for a fan. McIlroy could hear the cheers behind as he lined up a birdie putt on the 11th green, but missed by inches to remain one off the pace. Moments after DeChambeau converted a dramatic par save on the 11th, McIlroy drained another hairy putt on the 12th to go seven-under and back into a tie for the lead. McIlroy’s third birdie in four holes set off even more rollocking chants. A fourth in five moved him two clear of DeChambeau at eight-under, the trophy suddenly in sight. It wasn’t over yet. Right as McIlroy’s legion supporters were ready to exhale, he sent a drive off the 13th tee sailing into the pine straw right of the fairway. As he took his time cleaning up a drive into the natural area, DeChambeau narrowly missed an eagle putt on 13 before cleaning up for birdie to get within a shot of the lead. When McIlroy dropped a shot on the 16th, the ­leaders were all square at seven-under. What appeared to be a decisive moment came on the 15th green. Shortly after missing a putt to retake the lead, DeChambeau missed a 4 foot putt for par to fall one stroke behind. But McIlroy failed to take advantage by missing from only 19 inches on the 16th. McIlroy hit a driver into the scrub on the 72nd hole and could only hit his approach to the front of the green leaving a difficult up and down. He then chipped to within three feet but a second miss over the last three holes all but handed the title to DeChambeau. A bunker shot which will go down as one of the best ever shots hit in a Major all but secured the title after he calmy holed the winning putt. They were the 497th and 498th putts from inside three feet that McIlroy had attempted this year. He’d made each of the previous 496, but it’s Sunday’s pair that will be remembered the longest. “Rory is one of the best to ever play. Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special,” DeChambeau said. “For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way.” DeChambeau brings home the winner’s share of roughly $4.3m (£3.39m) from the $21.5m (£16.8m) prize fund, a record for a major tournament. McIlroy, whose last major triumph came in the 2014 US PGA when it was staged in August, has come the closest to ending his drought at the US Open. He’d arrived at Pinehurst on a string of top‑10s in his past five appearances, each of those finishes improving on the one before, including last year when he came in one shot behind Wyndham Clark.