All the best, worst, and funniest things you might have missed from the 2024 US Open final round

All the key action from the final round of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst

I’ve watched every second of the 2024 US Open final round to highlight the key moments and the best reactions from social media.

US OPEN BEST MOMENTS FROM: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

There’s been plenty to enjoy about the 2024 US Open. A tough course setup has given the world’s best players a real test, we’ve seen as many aces this year as the previous 12 US Opens at Pinehurst, Scottie Scheffler got a sharp new haircut that didn’t seem to help his golfing powers, we found out what it’s like inside the mind of Tyrrell Hatton, and Sergio Garcia produced some great golf while sporting some pretty questionable outfits.

And that’s just Thursday to Saturday. Here’s the key action you might have missed from Sunday’s final round.

1. Happy Father’s Day from Pinehurst.

2. Bryson DeChambeau hit a shank in a practice bunker during his warm-up. Commentators described it as “awesome”. When I hit a shank during my warm-up I assume I’m going to non-stop-shank my way to an embarrassing 138. Half the time I’m right.

3. Si Woo Kim hit one of the filthiest driver stingers you’ll ever see:

4. I feel Bryson DeChambeau is more popular with fans now than ever before, but wanted to find out if I was right:

Although it should be said that the poll started when he was leading on Friday.

5a. In the end, Åberg fell short, but was an inch away from ending his tournament in special fashion:

6. Being one of the biggest hitters in golf has its benefits, but its downsides too. DeChambeau had to change the head on his Krank driver shortly before starting his final round, having cracked the head on the original.

6a. Maybe the driver gave up in protest at being one of the few clubs in Bryson’s bag that he doesn’t have a pet name for.

6b. Or maybe it was the nighttime practice session Bryson undertook after his round on Saturday:

7. Brad Faxon thinks the scoring at the US Open proves the golf ball doesn’t go too far:

… which is an interesting take, given several of the par-4s have been playing over 500 yards and there’s a 617-yard par-5. Not to mention the fact that the top two (at the time of Faxon’s tweet) of DeChambeau at McIlroy are two of the game’s biggest bombers.

8. Speaking of long holes, the par-5 5th not only measures 588 yards, it also does this when you hit what seemed like a brilliant approach shot from 250 yards:

McIlroy wound up making six.

“This is exactly what’s great and awful at Pinehurst,” said four-time PGA Tour winner and now Champions Tour player Steve Flesch. “The fine line between a great shot and an overly penalized shot is too severe. It makes for good TV but it’s really total BS.”

9. A fun coincidence saw Neal Shipley and Luke Clanton paired together, meaning the leading contenders for low amateur honors went head-to-head:

Shipley edged it, finishing +6 for the tournament, but it could have been very different, with Clanton almost holing his second shot on 18 before missing the birdie putt and making par:

10. Ludvig Åberg had to try out Happy Gilmore’s putting style after finding a tricky spot:

11. Earlier in the week, Brooks Koepka refused to do media interviews, saying “The lack of creativity with questions is kinda boring”. He instead agreed to a text message interview with Eamon Lynch.

Alan Shipnuck tried the same tactic with Paul Casey:

12. Having already surrendered two aces this week, the 9th hole decided to shut up shop on Mark Hubbard:

13. Being part pundit and part putting coach to the stars can cause problems, as Brad Faxon may be about to find out when Rory McIlroy gets hold of him:

Though he might forgive his putting coach given some of the gobblers he holed in the final round:

[I wrote this with about seven holes to go. Let’s not talk about Rory’s putting for a bit…]

14. This idea could never work, could it…?

15. Sam Burns’ Sunday 67 (-3) was the fifth bogey-free round of the week. How much would any of the leaders have paid him for that score in the final round?! It was enough for Burns to force his way into the top-10 and secure his place at Oakmont next year (top 10 and ties are exempt). 

16. It’s been a year of uninspired major defenses so far. Wyndham Clark fired a seven-over 77 to finish T-56 at Pinehurst, Brooks Koepka was never in the mix at the PGA Championship, while 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm finished +9 and T-45 at Augusta this year. I won’t be pumping my life savings on Brian Harman at Royal Troon.

17. If you had this shot, what club are you using, which tree are you hitting, and which spectator is getting it in the chops?

18. “I think I prefer Majors where Rory’s out of contention,” says TG Digital Editor Rob Jerram. “It’s the hope that kills me.” Will Rory ever end his major drought?  

18a. I hope Rob J had nipped for a cup of tea while Rory missed this short putt on 16 to surrender his lead:

18b. That was the first putt inside 3′ Rory had missed all season. What a time to do it:

18c. And what a time to miss another one:

19. Having spent all week pumping the fans up, Bryson turned into a tournament marshal having driven the green on 13, silencing the fans ready for Pavon’s tee shot. Classy touch from everyone’s new favorite golfer. 

20. Sergio Garcia, who received a late exemption to keep his run of 25 consecutive US Opens going, fell agonizingly short of securing his spot in next year’s field. The Spanish star’s closing 70 saw him finish at +1 and T-12, one shot off the top-10, which would have bagged him a spot at Oakmont.

21. Two players who will be in the field next year are Davis Thompson and Corey Conners, who finished T-9. Not that you’d know it from the amount of coverage they received. More likely to see footage of Tiger watching the US Open… 

22. As if Pinehurst wasn’t getting enough credit already:

23. With a playoff looking like a real possibility, I was starting to curse the USGA for binning the Monday 18-hole head-to-head. Rory vs Bryson across 18 holes around Pinehurst would definitely banish the Monday blues. Incidentally, it’s been 16 years since the last one, when Tiger famously outlasted Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. 

24. Is it just me or did Rory’s caddie, Harry Diamond, take an extra long time raking the bunker on 17 after McIlroy and Cantlay had finished, leaving DeChambeau to stand and wait on the tee box?

If it was tactical, it didn’t work, with DeChambeau hitting a beauty to 18′.

25. How many times is Rory going to make bizarre decisions under pressure? Why’s he hitting driver on 18 when he knows 3-wood left him a wedge yesterday? This is why people question Harry Diamond. The caddie should be telling his player to pull the 3-wood there. Says the man who’s never caddied at any level, watching at home from his sofa. 

26. I tried to tell Rob Jerram that Rory isn’t going to win another major.

27. Bryson’s decision to blast driver up 18 was questionable, but making par from under a tree:

… and then getting up and down from here:

… is a fittingly entertaining way to win a major for a guy who’s become perhaps the best entertainer in golf:

27a. And, statistically, one of most clutch shots of all time:

27b. Although Byeong Hun An doesn’t think it was quite as tough as that:

27c. Think I’m more Smylie Kaufman than Byeong Hun An:

28. Pavon refused to hole out because it would have given Bryson a read on the 18^th. That shows some serious class and honor. 

29. Don’t think this will cheer Rory up much:

30. Unsurprisingly, Rory didn’t hang around to be part of Bryson’s ‘touch the trophy’ party:

30a. Not sure Rory driving himself is the best idea given the mental state he must have been in:

31. Searching for Rory positives… he’ll get the most FedEx Cup points of anyone in the field. 

32. This time in five weeks, the majors will be over for another year. “The big four are too close together,” says Rob Jerram. I’m not sure I agree; I quite like them coming thick and fast.

33. Bryson’s 71 means he missed out on equaling the record for most consecutive major rounds in the 60s. Don’t suppose that will take the shine off things too much.

34. Bryson was two behind with five to play, played that stretch over par, and still won the tournament. He’ll be pinching himself.

Rory played holes 15-18 in five-over across the weekend. He’ll be kicking himself.

35. Having let thousands of fans touch the trophy, Bryson then returned to the bunker on the 18^th for photos, even raking the sand to ensure the snappers could get the perfect shot. He added a couple of handfuls of the sand to his trophy as a memento. I just hope he remembers it’s there before he adds the champagne (or protein shake) later.  

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About the author

Rob McGarr – Contributing Editor

Rob has been a writer and editor for over 15 years, covering all manner of subjects for leading magazines and websites.

He has previously been Features Editor of Today’s Golfer magazine and Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com, and held roles at FHM, Men’s Running, Golf World, and MAN Magazine.

You can follow him on YouTube where – depending on what day of the week it is – he’ll either be trying his best to get his handicap down to scratch or shoving his clubs in a cupboard, never to be seen again.

Rob is a member at Royal North Devon, England’s oldest golf course, where he plays off a two-handicap.