‘Star of the show’: DeChambeau firmly in driver’s seat to win second U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. — For all the talk about Bryson DeChambeau’s silly logoed uniforms since going to LIV, his mad-scientist approach to golf, and his constant pursuit of the next big content piece — he’s still a great golfer.

“Bryson,” Paul McGinley said on Golf Channel Saturday night, “was the star of the show today.”

DeChambeau had the crowd at Pinehurst No. 2 whipped into a frenzy Saturday at the U.S. Open. When he and Ludvig Aberg, who is Swedish, walked off the first tee, the crowd chanted ‘USA! USA!’ — much to DeChambeau’s delight.

He signed an autograph in the middle of his round.

He played with the crowd, who egged him on to try to drive the green, going back and forth with a driver or iron.

“It just gives me a spike in my adrenaline and allows me to focus more on delivering for the fans and for myself and for my family. It just inspires me,” he said of the fan support.

DeChambeau shot a 3-under 67 and leads by three, firmly in the driver’s seat to win another major — his first coming in 2020, also at the U.S. Open.

His move to LIV signified one thing — DeChambeau tried previously to be a golfer who was entertaining. Now he’s embraced being an entertainer who is a golfer. And that mental pivot might mean a second major championship is his for the taking.

“I’m lucky enough to have a great team around me to help me move in the right direction with the content that we’re producing, social media, and then also just a great perspective on life,” DeChambeau said. “That combination has allowed me to not only have a new perspective but an opportunity to show myself in a different light and to entertain the fans out there on the golf course.”

DeChambeau, who is the longest golfer on LIV, was fourth in strokes gained: off the tee and fourth in strokes gained: putting Saturday. At a challenging layout like Pinehurst, it’s the perfect combination.

He started with a bogey on No. 4 but then rattled off birdies on Nos. 5, 7, 10, 11, and 14. He proved he wasn’t completely immune to Pinehurst’s tricky test on No. 16, as he needed four shots to get it in the house from just 75 feet away en route to a double bogey.

DeChambeau bounced back with a birdie on his penultimate hole of the day, and his 3-under effort was the second lowest round of the day.

Of the 17 times previously that a golfer has held exactly a three-shot lead through 54 holes at the U.S. Open, they have gone on to win nine times — though this has happened just twice in the last seven opportunities.

This is, however, the second major championship in a row that DeChambeau has been in the mix, after finishing second at the PGA Championship last month. Saturday was his seventh consecutive round of 69 or lower in major championship play. The record is eight.

For all of DeChambeau’s exciting efforts on the course and fist pumps and crowd-engagement, his plan for Sunday is actually quite simple.

“Just going to say it — tomorrow it’s the same quote I’ve said all week. Trying to have boring golf. Middle of the green never moves, so I am going to try to hit a lot of the greens, give myself some good looks on some holes, and two-putt a lot,” DeChambeau said.

In the final group alongside DeChambeau will be Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who won for the first time on the PGA Tour earlier this season at the Farmers Insurance Open. He’s tied for second alongside Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, who will make up the penultimate pairing.

McIlroy and Cantlay had a dust-up at last year’s Ryder Cup after an American celebration started to get out of hand. McIlroy had to be physically restrained in the parking lot from going over to Cantlay’s caddie — which should make for a potentially chilly pairing, despite the soaring Carolinian temperatures.

McIlroy will enter the final round of the U.S. Open inside the top 10 for the sixth year in a row and said being one group ahead of the final pairing might not be so bad if he can put some early pressure on DeChambeau. McIlroy heaped praise on Pinehurst earlier in the week and that continued Saturday night.

“It’s what a U.S. Open should be like. It’s obviously great to be in the mix,” McIlroy said. “I’m pretty much in the same position that I was last year going into the final day […] so familiar position, been here many times before, and hopefully tomorrow I produce the golf that’s needed to go one better.”

Hideki Matsuyama and third-round leader Ludvig Aberg sit tied for fifth and are five shots back of DeChambeau.

DeChambeau — who had to get on-course stretching done due to hip tightness — was still hitting balls on the driving range as the time clicked closer to 9 p.m. ET. But it’s a major, and it’s his major to win, and he’s ready to do whatever it takes.

And it should be entertaining regardless.

More from Sportsnet

Conners chasing Olympic spot heading into final round at U.S. Open

Scheffler has another tough day, fighting the greens at the U.S. Open