After securing his second U.S. Open title, Bryson DeChambeau gave a touching tribute to the late Payne Stewart.
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Bryson DeChambeau calls Payne Stewart his hero.
Rising up, he wore the ivy cap as a tribute to the late Stewart (and Ben Hogan). DeChambeau adopted in his idol’s footsteps as he attended SMU, thanks largely to Stewart’s affect. And this week, as he walked the fairways of Pinehurst No. 2 — the location of Stewart’s second U.S. Open title — the ’99 champ was by no means removed from DeChambeau’s thoughts as he dangled a white ivy cap on his bag.
“It’s with me and makes me consider him each time I’m strolling on these grounds,” DeChambeau mentioned. “He’s meant quite a bit to me within the recreation.”
The parallels between DeChambeau and Stewart multiplied because the week progressed on the 124th U.S. Open.
Most bear in mind Stewart fondly for his contributions to the sport. He’s often known as one of many best stewards golf has ever seen. Heck, there’s even an annual award in his honor for the participant that honors and upholds the traditions of the sport. However what will get misplaced in that fond remembrance is that it wasn’t at all times that approach for Stewart. For a lot of his early profession, he was often known as a brash, conceited presence on Tour.
Over the ultimate few years of his life, Stewart labored to alter that status — and alter he did. And by the point he gained his closing U.S. Open in 1999, he’d turn out to be one of the vital widespread figures on Tour.
DeChambeau’s profession has adopted an analogous arc. Earlier than he defected to the LIV Tour, DeChambeau didn’t have one in every of golf’s highest approval rankings. There have been many cases during which he rubbed individuals the fallacious approach (intentional or not) and his immaturity received him in sizzling water quite a lot of occasions. He turned a punching bag for followers and social media pundits alike, and there have been some that celebrated his departure from the PGA Tour.
Watching his reception this week, you’d by no means know this was the identical DeChambeau. Gone have been the “Brooksy!” jeers and different heckles from the gallery. As an alternative, they have been changed by chants of DeChambeau’s title. For the primary time in his profession, he had the complete assist of the followers behind him.
“It’s meant quite a bit to me,” DeChambeau mentioned of the fan assist. “Simply pondering again three years in the past, the panorama was quite a bit totally different. I attempted to indicate everyone who I used to be. I didn’t do it the correct approach and will have accomplished quite a lot of issues higher.”
The Stewart-DeChambeau parallels didn’t cease there. The methods during which the 2 captured their second U.S. Open titles mirrored one another, too.
In ’99, Stewart stood in the midst of the sixteenth fairway one shot off the lead. On this sizzling and dusty Sunday at Pinehurst, DeChambeau did, too. Stewart was the beneficiary of a missed par putt from Phil Mickelson on the sixteenth inexperienced, whereas DeChambeau pulled tied when Rory McIlroy missed a par putt of his personal.
Every man wanted simply par to safe the title on the 18th, and every missed the golf green, catching lies that made hitting the inexperienced not possible. Stewart managed to get up-and-down from the golf green to safe a par save for the ages. DeChambeau adopted in his idol’s footsteps, securing his second U.S. Open title.
“That’s Payne proper there, child,” DeChambeau mentioned as he walked off the inexperienced.
As he acquired the trophy on the 18th inexperienced, DeChambeau had one closing tribute in retailer in Stewart’s honor. He took off his baseball cap and positioned it on the desk. Then, he grabbed an ivy cap and positioned it on his head.
A becoming nod to the person who’d walked in his sneakers earlier than.
