Bryson DeChambeau made last-minute change moments before final round at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau was forced to change his driver head just minutes before kicking off for the final round of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday.
DeChambeau kicked off the final round as the 54-hole leader, having bridged a three-shot gap over Matthieu Pavon, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay following the end of round three. Arriving on Sunday, a smiley DeChambeau looked as comfortable as anyone around the Pinehurst site with the hopes of winning his second major title.
His preparation in the build-up to his fourth round tee time though was hampered, after the 2020 U.S. Open champion was seen replacing the head of his driver alongside his caddie Gregory Bodine on the range.
There were conflicting reports as to why the American made the late change in his bag, with Sky Sports commentary team speculating that it could well have been due to a crack in his original head. Golf.com meanwhile reported that he made the change after measuring the face of the heads, before making a second switch.
The driver is no doubt an important club in the bag for DeChambeau, who has become synonymous with his long-hitting off the tee in recent years. The big stick more than played its part in the LIV Golf star's impressive showing on Saturday, after he secured his three-shot advantage with a four-under 66.
He may well have left been rueing his power off the tee box partway through his third round on Saturday, after the Crushers GC captain was forced to receive on-course treatment after developing a hip problem. DeChambeau called in a physio when heading to the 11th, receiving treatment in the woods of Pinehurst No. 2.
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Bryson DeChambeau leads the U.S. Open
He then quickly returned to action, and in typical DeChambeau fashion, crushed his drive down the middle before making birdie. In the aftermath of his impressive third round, the American gave an update on his injury, admitting it was an issue he has endured for some time.
"Yeah, it was tougher to get through on a couple shots," he said. "It's okay. I've had it for a long time now. It's just something that popped up. I've been playing a lot of good golf lately, and working on my house, trying to get my house finished, so I haven't really had time to rest like I want to.
"The two weeks I had off after PGA, I was really grinding and focusing on some stuff there. I wasn't really able to rest. I've just been pushing myself a little bit, pushing the horse a bit. Consequently that's going to happen. But I've got a great team around me to help fix some stuff up. Ryan Overturf is here. Does a bunch of MAT on me, and he's going to fix me right up."