DeChambeau collapses on Green Mile, falling from 1st to tie for 8th at PGA Championship
Bryson DeChambeau hits from the fairway on the seventh hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Bryson DeChambeau watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the 18th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Bryson DeChambeau hits his tee shot on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bryson DeChambeau reacts after hitting his tee shot into the water on the 17th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bryson DeChambeau reacts after hitting his tee shot into the water on the 17th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bryson DeChambeau hits from the fairway on the seventh hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Bryson DeChambeau watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the 18th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Bryson DeChambeau hits his tee shot on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bryson DeChambeau reacts after hitting his tee shot into the water on the 17th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For a brief minute, it seemed Bryson DeChambeau was beginning to lock in on a third major championship.
The notorious long-ball hitter had just made birdie on the 15th hole Saturday to get to 8-under-par, giving him sole possession of the lead at the PGA Championship. And then Quail Hollow's famous three closing holes known as the Green Mile — and a few untimely gusts of win — changed everything.
Advertisement
The two-time U.S. Open champion made bogey on No. 16 and double bogey on 17.
In a span about about 90 minutes, DeChambeau went from first place to tied for eighth and six shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler with a round left.
While DeChambeau struggled down the stretch, Scheffler seized the moment. The world's No. 1 player played the final five holes in 5 under to take command of the tournament at 11-under 202. Scheffler led by three shots over Alex Noren.
DeChambeau's decline started on the par-4 16th hole, the same hole that Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Scheffler all double-bogeyed Thursday.
Advertisement
He missed a makeable par putt, taking his first bogey of the day.
Then he found the water on the par-3 17th, forcing him to take a stroke and drop. The LIV Golf player finished with a 5, sending him spiraling down the leaderboard.
'I hit a great 9-iron exactly the way I wanted to. The wind just pumped it. Nothing I can do,' DeChambeau said. 'Wind flipped from being neutral off the right and it just was almost straight in. We misjudged that, considering on (hole) 16 we thought it was playing almost a little downwind.'
On the 18th, DeChambeau again misjudged the wind and left his approach shot from the fairway bunker short of the flag. He had to settle for par.
Advertisement
'The wind cost me three shots — and that's what happens here at Quail Hollow,' DeChambeau said.
It was a tough break considering he had played the first 15 holes so masterfully in 5-under par and was looking at one of his best rounds at a major.
"That's why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world," he said.
DeChambeau said he wouldn't change anything about he played his round.
'I can't complain too much,' said DeChambeau, who shot 2-under 69. 'You can always ask for more. You can always try to be a little greedier out there.'
DeChambeau has been in the mix on the final day in three of his last four majors.
Advertisement
He won the U.S. Open last summer at Pinehurst and briefly led on the final day at the Masters before shooting 3-over-par 75 and losing to McIlroy.
A 6-shot deficit to Scheffler might seem insurmountable, but DeChambeau said he won't go down without a fight.
'I'm behind the 8-ball now. I've got to get my guns a-blazing tomorrow,' DeChambeau said. 'All I can do is control what I can control and if I go out and shoot 6-, 7-under, that's what I'm focused on doing. Not that that's what's going to do it, but you never know. But I'm going to shoot as low as I possibly can.'
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 U.S. Open: 5 Biggest Storylines from Oakmont Country Club
The post 2025 U.S. Open: 5 Biggest Storylines from Oakmont Country Club appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 125th U.S. Open is upon us, and the world's best golfers are at Oakmont Country Club just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. The golf season's third major championship is sure to deliver the drama, excitement, and glory to its prestigious winner once again. But this year, maybe more than most, has an elevated sense of importance. Advertisement It has been just over two years since the PGA Tour and LIV Golf came to an agreement. Since that time, the sides appear to have only fallen further and further apart, instead of coming together. The Saudi-backed league continues to struggle to gain traction with fans and sponsors. Many of its top players' contracts expire in either 2025 or 2026. That places the future of the sport in question. But the present, you could argue, could not be any more exciting. Many of the world's top-ranked golfers enter the U.S. Open atop their game. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is back to dominating the sport. Rory McIlroy finally got the monkey off his back at Augusta National. Reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau has been incredibly consistent in majors in recent years. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. So, let's get to the five biggest storylines for the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images 5 Biggest U.S. Open Storylines 5. The Course Itself Normally, all of the major storylines are derived from the players. But that is not the case for this year's U.S. Open. Oakmont Country Club already has a reputation for being one of the most challenging golf courses in the world. But the conditions the USGA has set up this week should give the pros nightmares. Advertisement The greens are incredibly wide, but that will only give players hope. If they are not accurate off the tee, they will be begging for par. That is because the rough at Oakmont is as deep as most players have ever seen. Ben Griffin, one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour, visited Oakmont for a practice round recently. The video of him dropping a ball into the rough, only to disappear, has since gone viral with over a million views. He would later go on to say that he expects the winning score to be around 5-over par. Not under, over par. This course last hosted the U.S. Open in 2016. Dustin Johnson won the event at 4-under, but that is not expected to be the winning score this time around. Advertisement Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy each played practice rounds here last week. Suffice it to say, they came away with the same impression as Griffin. 4. Bryson DeChambeau looks for 3rd U.S. Open title Last year, the content king Bryson DeChambeau bested Rory McIlroy in a dramatic finish at Pinehurst No. 2. While McIlroy crumbled down the stretch, the LIV Golf star brought his best late to capture his second U.S. Open title. DeChambeau previously won his first major at Winged Foot in 2000. In fact, he has finished in the top six in five of the last six major championships. So, the stage and bright lights are never too big for him. Advertisement His game appears to be on point entering Oakmont, too. He has seven top 20 finishes on LIV Golf this season in as many starts. That includes a victory and a recent leaderboard finish at LIV Golf Virginia this past weekend. Expect the big man to be there come Sunday. 3. Rory McIlroy Looks to Regain Form The Northern Irishman made history in April. McIlroy became the sixth man ever to complete the career grand slam by winning the Masters. Only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods had previously achieved that feat. His Masters mastery continued his recent run of success. McIlroy had already won twice in 2025: namely the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the PLAYERS Championship (both Signature Events). Advertisement But since the win at Augusta, McIlroy appears to have checked out. He played poorly at the PGA Championship and even caused a stir by refusing to speak to the media after each round. It later came out that his driver failed USGA standards and was deemed non-conforming. That forced the five-time major champion to switch drivers heading into the event. McIlroy then drove the ball terribly at Quail Hollow, a course he previously dominated. Things did not get any better at the RBC Canadian Open, where McIlroy posted his worst 36-hole finish of his PGA Tour career. He finished 149th of 153 golfers in the field. The question is; will he regain his form and contend? His driver is the key. 2. Phil Mickelson's U.S. Open Swan Song? Another player on LIV Golf will surely steal some headlines this week. Phil Mickelson may be playing in the final U.S. Open tournament of his career. That is because his exemption for winning the 2021 PGA Championship (at 50 years old) runs dry after this year. The Official World Golf Rankings still denies points to LIV tournaments, causing most on that tour to plummet. Advertisement While at LIV Virginia this week, Lefty acknowledged this may be his last U.S. Open. That is important because that is the one major missing from his legendary resume. He has finished second place a whopping six times at the event, but has failed to close the deal. Lefty's vintage play in Virginia over the weekend breeds some hope for the six time major champion, though. It left DeChambeau to call his impossible hole-out one of the greatest shots he had ever seen. 1. Scottie Scheffler Legacy Grows Even though Scheffler has only three major titles to his credit, most are already calling him the best player of this generation. Normally, that would cause quite a stir. Brooks Koepka has five, as does McIlroy. Jordan Spieth has won three himself. Advertisement But it is easy to see why there is such high regard for what Scheffler has done. Essentially all of the success has happened over just the last couple of years. Scheffler won the 2022 and 2024 Masters, and then ran away from the field at last month's PGA Championship. He already has 16 PGA Tour wins, but has played full-time on Tour for less than four years. His 2024 season was stuff of legend. He won nine times worldwide, including an Olympic Gold Medal and the Tour Championship. But during the Christmas break, the Ridgewood, NJ native suffered a hand injury that required surgery. The injury cost him over a month of the 2025 PGA Tour season. What he has done since returning is somehow matching what he did in 2024. Advertisement He has made all 12 cuts, with three wins, nine top 10s and his worst finish was a tie for 25th at the WM Phoenix Open. Can anyone stop this runaway train, or will Scheffler continue climbing the all-time golf rankings with another major title. With a U.S. Open win, he will be just an Open title away from the grand slam himself. Related: Rory McIlroy seeks rarified Ben Hogan air at US Open Related: PGA Tour news: Ryan Fox pulls off RBC Canadian Open feat last seen in 1968
CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
Philadelphia legend Fran Dunphy reunites with former player at 110th anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters
How the relationship between a legendary Philly coach and former player grew bigger than basketball How the relationship between a legendary Philly coach and former player grew bigger than basketball How the relationship between a legendary Philly coach and former player grew bigger than basketball Big Brothers Big Sisters of America hosted its national conference in Philadelphia this week. The longtime mentorship organization is celebrating its 110-year anniversary. For decades, the organization has paired mentors with young people to help set them up for success. And there's few better examples of that than the relationship between a retired college coach and one of his former players. The relationship between coach Fran Dunphy and Steve Nesmith started 46 years ago when Nesmith was a high school student. Dunphy coached a young Nesmith at Malvern Prep and later on at American University. It's where Dunphy became more than just a coach but also a Big Brother. "I can still hear Coach Dunphy in my mind: Be strong, don't give up, there's always tomorrow," Nesmith said. "I admire what he has accomplished. He is truly a good man, which means everything to me," Dunphy said. Dunphy went on to coach at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and La Salle University, becoming the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history. He retired this year. Nesmith and Dunphy reunited at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's national conference in Philadelphia. Dunphy has been part of the organization for years. Both are now reflecting on their 40 years of friendship and the impact they've had on each other's lives. "What I learned from Coach Dunphy, not just as a coach but in life, and I obtained life experiences through being around this gentleman, listening to him, because it was never about basketball," Nesmith said. Dunphy added, "There's something inside him that says, I want to do this, I want to get better, I want to be the best person I can be so, yeah, maybe I had a little role, but I wouldn't ever minimize what he's done on his own." CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence, Marcus Allen, said Dunphy and Nesmith's story is one of countless examples of the difference a mentor can have on the lives of young people. "Big Brothers Big Sisters is here to not create potential in kids, we are here to protect it," Allen said. As for Dunphy and Nesmith, the two may have helped each other win basketball games, but they also helped each other win at life.
CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
Rangers hit season-high 6 home runs in a 16-3 romp over the Twins
Josh Smith, Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford went deep in the first two innings and the Texas Rangers hit a season-high six home runs in a 16-3 romp over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Evan Carter, Adolis Garcia and Sam Haggerty also homered as Texas scored 16 runs for the second time in three games. The Rangers beat Minnesota 16-4 on Tuesday night. Patrick Corbin (4-5) allowed three runs in five-plus innings for his first victory since May 14, retiring 12 straight hitters at one point. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in his dozen starts this season. Minnesota has lost five of seven. Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford, right, celebrates his three-run home run with Kyle Higashioka, left, and Josh Smith during the second inning of baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. Matt Krohn / AP Minnesota's Bailey Ober (4-3) allowed seven earned runs and walked a career-high six in 4 2-3 innings. He gave up a career-high four homers. Smith hit the lanky right-hander's second pitch into the right-field seats. Burger homered in the second, and after a balk, Kyle Higashioka added an RBI single for a 3-1 lead. Two batters later, Langford hit a three-run blast just inside the left-field foul pole. Carter homered in the fifth to make it 7-1, Garcia capped a six-run sixth with a three-run home run off Joey Wentz, the reliever claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh Wednesday. Haggerty added a three-run shot in the ninth against infielder Jonah Bride. Down 6-1 in the second inning, Minnesota loaded the bases with no outs and the top of the order coming up. But Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa popped out around Ryan Jeffers' strikeout. Texas is 25-4 when scoring at least four runs. Texas has yet to announce a starter for its home game Friday night against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Chris Paddack (2-5, 3.53) is scheduled for Minnesota at Houston.
