“I should be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I’m not. So that, that stings.”
Rory McIlroy is in Dubai this week for the DP World Tour Championship, seeking his third straight Race to Dubai — the DP World Tour equivalent of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup — title and sixth overall.
Despite another strong season from the world No. 3 that included his 25th and 26th PGA Tour wins — Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship — McIlroy answered “B” when asked what he’d grade his season.
“It would be a pass, it wouldn’t be a pass with flying colors,” he said with a slight chuckle. “But, um, probably a B.”
The one glaring stain was yet another close call at a major championship, this time at Pinehurst No. 2 at the U.S. Open. McIlroy controlled the tournament on the back nine on Sunday but bogeyed three of his final four holes to allow Bryson DeChambeau to swoop in and win his second major title (2020 U.S. Open, Winged Foot).
“Incredibly consistent again,” McIlroy said when asked to describe his year. “You know, I think I’ve been really proud of that (consistency) over the last few years. But then at the same time, you know, thinking about the ones that got away. I should be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I’m not. So that, that stings.”
“I should be sitting here with a fifth major, that stings” 😔
Rory McIlroy says he’d give himself a B rating for his season but still rues missing out on winning the US Open ⛳ pic.twitter.com/3BTeNJl2Fg
The 2024 U.S. Open champion has been busy since his victory at Pinehurst No. 2 in June. Whether it’s playing on the LIV Golf League, various media appearances or recording content for his YouTube channel, DeChambeau has been everywhere, and the U.S. Open trophy has accompanied him for many of the journeys.
On Saturday, DeChambeau took the U.S. Open trophy to the SMU football game against Pittsburgh, a ranked matchup featuring two of the top teams in the ACC this season. He was honored during the game, but the highlight came when DeChambeau was shown with the trophy in the student section.
Professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau rides onto the field in a Mustang car with two SMU cheerleaders and the US Open trophy before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Imagine going to a football game with your friends, and all of the sudden you look up and it’s one of the best golfers in the world holding a major championship trophy while celebrating a touchdown.
Naomi Osaka didn’t beat around the bush about how much losing hurts her.
Naomi Osaka‘s return to her career hasn’t been without its challenges. After dropping a U.S. Open second-round match to Karolina Muchova, the tennis star transparently assessed what losing feels like.
Returning to typical activities after a life-altering event, like having a baby, can be grueling. Any progress made after that point is tremendous, and it’s especially awe-inspiring for athletes. However, it seems that Naomi Osaka may not be meeting the possible expectations she set for herself during her comeback.
All positive vibes after winning a first-round match at the U.S. Open just days ago quickly faded when Naomi was ousted in straight sets Thursday. Here’s what she told the media about how it feels to lose (See the 3:53 mark of the YouTube video below):
“It’s a little rough because I do take these losses really personally…It’s like a dramatic word, but, like, I feel like my heart dies every time I lose.”
“And it sucks a lot, but I’ve been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them.”
Want to catch the U.S. Open in person? Tickets still remain for each day of the tournament.
The final major of the tennis year began on Monday with no crazy upsets but plenty of good tennis.
The first round of both the men’s and women’s singles tournaments is scheduled to be complete on Tuesday, Aug. 27, with the men’s and women’s doubles draws beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
If you prefer a seat in the stadium, or you really want to watch a specific player, then check out reserved seats at either Arthur Ashe or Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Star players such as defending champion Novak Djokovic almost always play on one of the stadium courts, and often get to play in the night session, for which you need a completely different ticket.
First round night matches feature No. 2 Djokovic, No. 3 Carlos Alcarez, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, and Americans No. 6 Jess Pegula, No. 14 Tommy Paul, No. 20 Francis Tiafoe and Sloane Stephens.
Tickets only get more and more expensive as the tournament progresses, so get yours while you can.
“They don’t see how hard Harry works and how good he is for Rory.”
After Rory McIlroy’s stunning defeat at the U.S. Open last month, several media members and hundreds of fans criticized Harry Diamond, McIlroy’s caddie, for a lack of communication down the stretch.
For example, Smylie Kaufman had this to say during an appearance on Golf’s Subpar Podcast: “I felt like (caddie) Harry Diamond really should have stepped in on the 15th hole. He did not have the right club in his hands. And I felt like Rory could have taken control of the championship on 15 if he just hits it in the middle of the green. And he hit a good shot. But it just was the wrong club.”
McIlroy came to his looper’s defense before last week’s Genesis Scottish Open, where he’d go on to finish T-4, and now it’s another Irishman sticking up for Diamond.
“It makes my blood boil, to be honest,” Lowry told BBC Sport NI at Royal Troon before the 152nd Open Championship. “They don’t see how hard Harry works and how good he is for Rory. Just because he’s not standing in the middle of the tee box like other caddies who want to be seen and heard doesn’t mean that his voice isn’t heard by Rory.”
It’d be tough to find another Tour player who spends more time with McIlroy and Diamond than Lowry. They have been friends for years, play practice rounds together before major championships, have been Ryder Cup teammates twice (2021, 2023) and represented Ireland at the 2021 Olympics. Plus, they won the Zurich Classic as a team earlier this season.
If anyone knows how well McIlroy and Diamond work together, it’s Lowry.
For the opening round of The Open, world No. 33 Lowry tees off Thursday at 9:59 a.m. ET alongside Cameron Smith and Matt Fitzpatrick. Rory McIlroy is grouped with Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton at 5:09 a.m.
The last time we saw Rory McIlroy, he was driving away from Pinehurst No. 2 after gifting the U.S. Open to Bryson DeChambeau thanks to three bogeys over his final four holes, two of which were results of short misses with the putter.
But among the inquiries about the final hour of the USGA’s flagship event, McIlroy was asked about the online criticism his caddie, Harry Diamond, has received since their last time on the course.
For some context, Hank Haney tweeted this a few days after DeChambeau’s win:
I will say this, if Steve Williams was Rory’s caddie I can promise you he would have never hit a perfect flighted 7 iron that rolled over the green on 15 into a terrible lie because he would have hit an 8 iron and sent it straight up in the air and held the green.
And Smylie Kaufman said this during an appearance on Golf’s Subpar Podcast:
“I felt like (caddie) Harry Diamond really should have stepped in on the 15th hole.
“He did not have the right club in his hands. And I felt like Rory could have taken control of the championship on 15 if he just hits it in the middle of the green. And he hit a good shot. But it just was the wrong club.
“And never, never was a 7-iron for Rory. Especially with a right flag. If the wind was down off the right, it’s not exactly a flag and a wind condition and the heat to be able to land it in a hula hoop, where you got to hit this kind of soft, spinny, fade 7-iron. It was an 8-iron all day, hit it in the middle of the green.”
McIlroy didn’t pull any punches coming to his looper’s defense.
“You know, it’s certainly unfair. Hank Haney has never been in that position. Smylie has been in that position once, and I love Smylie, and he was out there with us on 18.
“But just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t say anything and that he doesn’t do anything. I just wish that, you know, these guys that criticize when things don’t go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way.
“So where were they when I won Dubai earlier this year or Quail Hollow or the two FedEx Cups that I’ve won with Harry or the two Ryder Cups or whatever? They are never there to say Harry did such a great job when I win, but they are always there to criticize when we don’t win.
“At the end of the day, they are not there. They are not the ones hitting the shots and making the decisions. Someone said to me once, you would never — if you would never take advice from these people, you would never take their criticisms, either. Certainly wouldn’t go to Hank Haney for advice. I love Smylie, but I think I know what I’m doing, and so does Harry.”
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland smiles on the second tee during the Pro-Am prior to the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on July 10, 2024, in North Berwick, Scotland. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
McIlroy started working with Diamond in 2017 after his split with JP Fitzgerald, who he was paired with for eight years. The two have known each other since their junior days at Holywood Golf Club back home in Northern Ireland.
The world No. 2 is the betting favorite in North Berwick, and no doubt enters the week with added motivation and a chip on his shoulder.
We’ll see if he and his caddie can silence the critics this weekend.
As the person taking the video said, “First time touching it, that’s crazy!”
For the second time in his career, LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau captured the U.S. Open title last week at the famed Pinehurst No. 2, besting Rory McIlroy by one shot after the Northern Irishman played his final four holes 3 over.
DeChambeau returned to the LIV Golf circuit this week, as the Saudi-backed league is in Tennessee for LIV Golf Nashville at The Grove, its ninth event of the season.
During his career, The Shark won the Open Championship twice but no other majors. He finished second at the U.S. Open twice, once at Winged Foot in 1984 and again at Shinnecock in 1995.
As the person taking the video said, “First time touching it, that’s crazy!”
🚨🙌🏆 LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman raises the U.S. Open trophy
Fresh off his U.S. Open championship victory, he’s been showing off his newest golf prize all over the country.
Bryson DeChambeau — fresh off his U.S. Open championship victory — has been showing off his newest golf prize all over the country.
DeChambeau clinched the victory following an epic bunker shot on No. 18, finishing at 6-under for the tournament, and clinching the U.S. Open for the second time in his career.
With the trophy in hand – and a second major championship under his belt – DeChambeau has been on a celebration tour for the ages and is now in town for the inaugural LIV Golf Nashville tournament, which starts Friday.
Here’s a rundown of everywhere Bryson DeChambeau has taken the trophy since Sunday.
The party started Sunday night, when DeChambeau paraded the trophy around the course at Pinehurst, letting fans take pictures with the trophy. Monday morning, he brought the trophy for his appearance on the “Today Show.” then headed to Westchester Golf Club in New York to drink wine out of the trophy with Eric Trump. Former President Donald Trump then delivered a video message to DeChambeau following the celebration.
DeChambeau also went on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. He went into detail about his trophy tour, saying, “(the fans) were cheering me on, pushing me, encouraging me … what better moment than to show the fans all that they deserve?”
What's the deal with these clubs..
"They're a one of one and you can see the curvature on the face..
Later that night, DeChambeau brought the trophy on “The Tonight Show hosted by Jimmy Fallon.” DeChambeau brought the trophy into the audience and let audience members hold the trophy.
Bryson Dechambeau crashes Jimmy Fallon’s monologue to let the audience touch the U.S. Open trophy 😂
DeChambeau was seen parading around Lower Broadway in Nashville bars and holding photo ops with some big names.
He was seen carrying the trophy outside Jason Aldean’s bar on lower Broadway, once again allowing passersby to hold and take photos with the trophy. At one point, he shared a photo with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, while also allowing Kittle to drink beer out of the trophy.
George Kittle chugging beer outta the US Open trophy with Bryson right there is the best thing I’ve seen in MONTHS 🐐 pic.twitter.com/gtY7h5PAZc
Last week’s victory was DeChambeau’s second major championship win, his first coming in the 2020 U.S. Open held at Winged Foot. He’s also secured two LIV Golf wins, one held at Greenbrier in August 2023 and another held at Chicago in September 2023.
When asked about being the “people’s champion,” DeChambeau had to collect himself.
After capturing his second U.S. Open in dramatic fashion on Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau certainly relished in the moment at Pinehurst No. 2, signing autographs, taking pictures and soaking in the post-round fun on the 18th hole.
And when he arrived with the trophy at this week’s LIV Golf event in Nashville, DeChambeau didn’t slow down, again allowing fans to touch the trophy and mingling with those on the ground at The Grove.
But when asked about being referred to as the “people’s champion” on Wednesday, DeChambeau had to collect himself and rub his eyes repeatedly.
“I’m humbled, very humbled by it,” he said. “When I was younger, I felt like I was called to do something in the game, and getting to this point in my life where I’ve had struggled, I’ve done some things I shouldn’t have done, said some things I shouldn’t have said and messing up and learning from those mistakes and learning patience, resilience, determination, continuing to grow in that capacity and then getting to a place where I finally get to showcase my true self and show others what this great game means to me, it’s given me so much. It’s time for me to give back.”
Here’s the video:
DeChambeau insisted that having a good team has made all the difference as he’s put together an incredible recent run.
“Through the adversity and struggle, having the right people around you, that’s the most important thing you can have,” he said. “Whenever somebody is struggling, whoever it is, it could be someone in here today, if you’re really struggling, you’ve just got to go say what’s on your mind. Don’t be afraid. To someone that you trust and you know is going to be there for you.
“There’s 700 million potential golfers, and I think right now there’s just over 100 million that are playing consistently, and we want to get that number closer to that 700 million. However we can do that, you’re going to see some really cool changes over the next couple years.”
“Anytime you get a chance to represent your country, I’m all for it.”
When Bryson DeChambeau signed with LIV Golf two years ago, he figured that by now the league would receive Official World Golf Ranking points.
That hasn’t happened. And DeChambeau and others who joined LIV have dealt with the repercussions of their decision to leave the PGA Tour. The latest instance is DeChambeau’s frustration with not making the U.S. golf team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After winning his second U.S. Open title Sunday, DeChambeau has cemented himself as one of the best players in the world this year. He finished T-6 at the Masters, then second at the PGA Championship. The U.S. Open win was a feather in the cap of what has been a brilliant year thus far, but he’s not being rewarded as he may have been in the past. He expressed as much Wednesday during his pre-tournament press conference at LIV Golf Nashville.
“It’s disappointing, but I understand the decisions I made, and the way things have played out has not been necessarily perfectly according to plan,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve done my best up until now to give myself a chance according to the OWGR, but I realize and respect where the current situation of the game is, albeit it’s frustrating and disappointing.”
Even before winning the U.S. Open, DeChambeau had no chance of making the team. He couldn’t earn enough points to gain a spot among the top four Americans in the OWGR. His only events to earn ranking points during the past two years are majors, and because LIV Golf events don’t receive points, there are 14 times a year he plays that aren’t recorded for ranking purposes.
His win Sunday moved him to No. 10 in the world, but it wasn’t enough to get into the top four Americans. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark will head to Paris to represent the Americans.
In 2021, DeChambeau was on the team but had to withdraw a week before the competition when he got COVID and couldn’t travel.
“I have always loved representing Team USA, whether it’s been the world team amateur (World Amateur Team Championships), the Walker Cup, Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup. It’s been some of the greatest moments of my life. Anytime you get a chance to represent your country, I’m all for it.”
DeChambeau said it was unfortunate he couldn’t travel in 2021, but this year is different. While Scheffler and Schauffele are the other major winners this year, arguments could be made that DeChambeau should be on the team over Morikawa or Clark.
DeChambeau was asked Wednesday if he thought there would have been an agreement by now between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, or if he thought he would’ve been able to get points by now. His answer was telling.
“Yeah, either of those situations,” he said. “That’s kind of what I thought. It hasn’t worked out that way, and again, I respect the decision that I made, and it is what it is. It hurts, but you know what, there’s another one four years later.
“Hopefully 2028 will be a little different situation, and it will make it that much sweeter.”
