In Portrush, Northern Ireland, Bryson DeChambeau faced a challenging start to the UK opening on Thursday, appearing emotional at times.
However, he managed to turn things around with an impressive second round of 65, followed by a 68 in the third round and a final round of 64.
This series of performances resulted in a remarkable tie, marking the tenth of his career.
His aggregate score of 197 over the last 54 holes ranks as the second lowest in the history of the event, just shy of Henrik Stenson’s record of 196 set while winning in 2016.
“It was a fun three days,” DeChambeau shared. “I’m really proud of how I managed to turn things around and reignite some hope. This week was emotional—I felt like my game was really coming together.”
He continued, “I held it together under pressure, fighting for every shot. I’m really proud of how today went.”
Coming in second place was Harris English, who finished at 13 under, four shots behind the leader, Scottie Scheffler. This marked the second time this year that English has found himself as the runner-up to Scheffler in a major.
Previously, English was a bridesmaid at the PGA Championship, which Scheffler won back in May. Referring to the tough competition, English remarked, “I’ve lost to Scotty twice in majors. He’s the only one who defeated me in the PGA, and he did it again this week. I think I played solid golf but need to refine my game a bit. One of my goals this year was to reach the Tour Championship and hopefully qualify for the Ryder Cup team.”
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy expressed his enthusiasm for Portrush, the course that holds a special place as his hometown venue. He praised the location, stating, “Honestly, I think Portrush has quickly become one of the top two or three venues where majors are played. Every player I talked to this week had nothing but positive things to say about the golf course. And from a logistical standpoint, the R&A coordinated really well with local governments to ensure everything went smoothly.”
Reflecting on the recent past, he noted, “It’s only been six years since 2019, and I’m uncertain if Portrush will host again that frequently.”
