Bryson DeChambeau stood on the edge of the green on the 18th hole at the Masters with a slim birdie opportunity to close the gap to Rory McIlroy to just two strokes entering the final round.
Holing it seemed inevitable. And so he did, rolling the ball straight into the cup to reach 10-under for the tournament and securing himself a Sunday pairing with McIlroy.
The pair had dueled at the 2024 U.S. Open where DeChambeau won his second major. McIlroy missed two short putts over the closing holes, meaning the American needed to par the last to win the title. A stunning up and down from a greenside bunker piled more major misery on the Northern Irishman.
He rose to the occasion during the final round at Augusta, however, defeating Justin Rose in a playoff to complete the career Grand Slam.
DeChambeau had a chance early on, but faltered on Sunday. Will this heartbreak prevent him from winning another major this season? Or can he use it as fuel to claim another one of the biggest titles in the game?
Bryson DeChambeau struggled in the final round of the Masters
McIlroy double-bogeyed the first hole in the final round and when DeChambeau birdied the second, the lead had changed hands.
The American couldn’t push on from this, dropping shots on hole three and four, before hooking his approach into the pond on the 11th, all but ending his chances.
His three-over round of 75 secured him a first top-five finish at the Masters and he is certainly getting closer to pulling on the green jacket.
In 2024, DeChambeau finished sixth after shooting an over par final round, yet this inspired him to a runners-up finish at the 2024 PGA Championship before his wonderful performance at Pinehurst No.2.
The PGA Championship is the second major of the 2025 season
The 31-year-old would already have a PGA title on his CV had Xander Schaueffle not reached a record-breaking 21-under par at Valhalla last year, pipping DeChambeau by a single stroke.
Quail Hollow is the venue for the tournament next month, a venue where the player has performed fairly well in the past.
The Wells Fargo Championship is held at Quail Hollow every year and the two-time major winner has finished fourth and Tied for ninth in his previous two visits to the course.
In his career so far, DeChambeau has played in even PGA Championships. Across those, he has missed just two cuts and finished tied for fourth twice along with his runner up finish last year.
The LIV Golf star has a five-year exemption for all four majors (ten for the U.S. Open after his win in 2024) which should certainly take the pressure off.
Will DeChambeau be holding the Wanamaker trophy aloft in a few weeks at Quail Hollow? Or will his Masters heartbreak continue into the second major of the year?
If last year is anything to go by, don’t bet against the enigmatic American winning a third major title in North Carolina.
