It was a stern test. So it makes sense that one of the game’s most cerebral players passed with flying colors. Bryson DeChambeau claimed his first major on Sunday at the U.S. Open with a dominating performance to win by six shots and posting 6 under for the week. “As difficult as this golf course was presented, I played it beautifully,” DeChambeau said. “My putting was immaculate today. My speed control, incredible.” DeChambeau was the only player to finish in red numbers after four days at storied Winged Foot, which showed its teeth once again. While the vast majority of the players struggled (even Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson missed the cut), DeChambeau went 70-67 on Saturday and Sunday and used his newly bulked-up frame to overpower some holes while displaying clutch touch and putting. It was DeChambeau’s seventh TOUR win since joining in 2017 and first since the Rocket Mortgage Classic in early July. He moves to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings.
HERE COMES CORALES
Four years after making its debut as a Korn Ferry Tour event, the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship has the full 500 FedExCup points on offer to the winner. Down in the Dominican Republic, Graeme McDowell returns to defend his title which broke a win drought that stretched back to 2015 with a host of young players joining him in the field. Leading that pack is Korn Ferry Tour player Will Zalatoris who is breaking records and appears to be headed for success after a T6 finish at brutal Winged Foot. Akshay Bhatia, 18, and Kristoffer Ventura, 25, make it in after strong finishes in the season-opening Safeway Open. It won’t be all fun and sun in the D.R. as players face one of the longest tests of the TOUR season on the Tom Fazio-designed Corales Course. It might be easy to let your foot off the gas with the beautiful coastal views, but a finishing stretch dubbed “The Devil’s Elbow” will quickly snap any pro out of his comfort zone.
SUPERSTARS HEAD TO THE OZARKS
Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas will team up against Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose on Tuesday from 3-7 p.m. ET in the Payne’s Valley Cup. Here’s how to watch. The event in Ridgedale, Missouri, will commemorate the opening of Payne’s Valley, which is Woods’ first design of a public course. “I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out,” Woods said. “It was an honor for me and my TGR Design team to work with Johnny Morris and Big Cedar Lodge on this spectacular golf course. I am thrilled that it will be featured during the Payne’s Valley Cup.” Woods named the course after the late Payne Stewart and the event will raise funds for the Payne Stewart Family Foundation.
