Golfbet recap: Bryson DeChambeau edges Rory McIlroy for second U.S. Open title

Another SMU Mustang is a U.S. Open champion at Pinehurst.

For the second time in five years, Bryson DeChambeau is your U.S. Open winner. It was 25 years ago that the late, great Payne Stewart, also an SMU graduate, won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Stewart won that year with a score of 1 under. DeChambeau brought home the trophy on Father’s Day with a winning score of 6 under, beating Rory McIlroy by one shot with a dramatic par save on the 72nd hole.

Having shot three straight rounds under par, DeChambeau went into championship Sunday with a three-shot lead. He was at 7 under for the championship, leading McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, and Matthieu Pavon, who were all at 4 under.

Round-by-round odds for Bryson DeChambeau to win U.S. Open (via BetMGM Sportsbook):

• Pre-tournament: +2000
• After Round 1 (T-4, trailed by two): +750
• After Round 2 (T-2, trailed by one): +400
• After Round 3 (led by three): -120

McIlroy birdied the first hole, while DeChambeau made his first bogey of the day at No. 4 to cut the lead to a single shot. Even after McIlroy bogeyed the par-5 fifth hole, the betting odds looked similar to the start of the round: DeChambeau sat at -135, with McIlroy at +225.

McIlroy first became the betting favorite after his lengthy birdie on No. 9, which came while DeChambeau seemed to be making a mess of the par-4 eighth. McIlroy inched ahead at +120, with DeChambeau at +140, but when the 2020 winner rolled in a par save on No. 8 he regained the status of betting favorite.

McIlroy teed off this week at +1200 odds at BetMGM, while DeChambeau was a bit further down the board at +2000. I asked Thomas Gable, the director of race and sports at The Borgata in New Jersey, who his shop was rooting for as the two former champions went back and forth.

“Rory was a slightly better (result) for us,” Gable said. “But there’s not much difference. We would’ve lost with Rory in-game, but we would have won with him pre-tournament. It was the reverse for Bryson.”

Outright pick results for Golfbet experts

Full picks can be found in Expert Picks

• Will Gray: Tommy Fleetwood (+3300) T16
• Ben Everill: Collin Morikawa (+1400) T14
• Chris Breece: Collin Morikawa (+1400) T14
• Matt DelVecchio: Rory McIlroy (+1200) second
• Rob Bolton: Scottie Scheffler (+300) T41
• Mike Glasscott: Scottie Scheffler (+300) T41

The see-saw battle continued down the back nine, with McIlroy taking a brief two-shot lead after birdies on Nos. 10, 12 and 13. He immediately jumped out to a -350 favorite in live markets to win his first major in a decade, while DeChambeau slipped to +250.

The two were tied a few moments later, after McIlroy bogeyed No. 15 and DeChambeau made a birdie of his own at No. 13, with markets assessing it as essentially a pick ‘em. After the two combatants traded three-putt bogeys, with DeChambeau missing on No. 15 and McIlroy missing at No. 16, the leaderboard was tied with DeChambeau a slight (-160) betting favorite.

It all came down to the 72nd hole, where both players missed their tee shots left. McIlroy scrambled from the native area but missed a 4-foot par attempt, which put DeChambeau in the driver’s seat behind him.

Equipped with a one-shot lead, DeChambeau was beneath a Magnolia tree for his approach. He played out to a greenside bunker, splashed a 55-yard shot to within 4 feet and rolled in the par putt to claim his second U.S. Open title.

It was a dramatic win for DeChambeau, but an agonizing loss for McIlroy who let his chance for a second U.S. Open title slip away. Both men had untimely misses down the stretch, but DeChambeua still found a way to get it done despite hitting only 50 percent of the fairways on Sunday.

Our attention will soon turn to Royal Troon for The Open, which will round out the major season for 2024 in less than four weeks. For now, though, it turns out that SMU Mustangs truly are horses for this course – and offer a flair for the dramatic when it comes to 72nd-hole par saves.

Rob Bolton's results

• Shane Lowry to win (+8000) T19
• Tommy Fleetwood Top 5 finish (+650) T16
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout Top 10 finish (+900) T32
• Aaron Rai Top 20 finish (+450) T19
• Greyson Sigg Top 40 finish (+333) T56
• Wyndham Clark Miss Cut (+150) T56
• Jordan Spieth Miss Cut (+150) T41
• Alex Noren Top 20 finish (+320) MC
• Billy Horschel Top 20 finish (+400) T41
• PARLAY: Pendrith-Top Canadian & McIlroy-Top Irish (+1000) T16/2nd (Conners Top Canadian T9)
• PARLAY: Hovland and Morikawa (+650 = Both to Finish Inside the Top 10) MC/T14
• PARLAY: Fitzpatrick and Horschel (+1200 = Both to Finish Insider the Top 20) T64/T41
• PARLAY: Bezuidenhout, Burmester & Horschel (+210 = All to Make the Cut) T32/69/T41
• Byeong Hun An (+250 = Top 20) MC
• Sam Bennett (+450 = Top 40) T72
• Thomas Detry (+150 = Top 40) T14
• Harris English (+140 = Top 40) T41
• Denny McCarthy (+140 = Top 40) T32
• Taylor Pendrith (+600 = Top Canadian) T16, Conners T9
• Gordon Sargent (+400 = Top 40) MC

Benny & The Bets picks

• Outright (without Scheffler): Collin Morikawa (+1200) T14
• Outright (without Scheffler): Tommy Fleetwood (+3300) T16
• Top 5: Xander Schauffele (+220) T7
• Top 10: Tommy Fleetwood (+320) T16
• Top 10: Cameron Smith (+320) T32
• Top 20: Russell Henley (+250) T7
• Top 20: Sepp Straka (+250) T56
• Top 40: Adam Scott (+110) T32
• Top Debutant: Ludvig Åberg (+160) T12

Golfbet live tournament draws

• Thursday: Bryson DeChambeau Win (+750), Collin Morikawa T14 (+2200), Xander Schauffele T7 (+1800)
• Friday: Bryson DeChambeau Win (+400), Ludvig Åberg T12(+320), Tony Finau T3 (+1200)

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