Inside Bryson’s U.S. Open genius, Rory’s soul-crushing defeat | Seen and Heard at Pinehurst

Welcome to GOLF.com’s “Seen & Heard” video series, in which we give you an inside look at golf’s biggest events through the eyes and ears of our onsite crew. On deck this week: the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Let’s go!

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How does one put into words what it was like to witness the final holes of the 2024 U.S. Open on Sunday? GOLF’s James Colgan had a few.

“I cannot believe what I just saw,” he marveled. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had so much fun at a golf tournament in my entire life. That was legitimately the craziest ending to a golf tournament. I feel a sense of gratitude that I just witnessed that with my own two eyes.”

Golf fans already know the “that” Colgan is referring to: Rory McIlroy’s shocking short misses and Bryson DeChambeau’s heroic 55-yard up-and-down from the bunker to win the U.S. Open by one.

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Anyone who plays golf knows the game delivers agony and ecstasy, oftentimes in unequal measure. For McIlroy, it was a brutal defeat and yet another close call. For DeChambeau, it felt like destiny. On the 25th anniversary of Payne Stewart’s stirring victory at Pinehurst, DeChambeau followed in the footsteps of his boyhood idol, putting on a show for the ages, and the fans embraced him.

“I’m just passionate,” DeChambeau said in the aftermath of his win. “I really care about doing well out here and showing the fans a side of me that was locked up for so long.”

What a week, what a champion. The year’s final major, the Open Championship, can’t come soon enough.

To catch up on all the GOLF team’s activities at Pinehurst, check out the video above, and watch the full Seen & Heard playlist below.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

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