Bryson DeChambeau’s subtle U.S. Open sportsmanship merits kudos

Before Bryson DeChambeau sank his short putt on the 18th hole at Pinehurst No. 2 to secure the U.S. Open victory on Sunday, he demonstrated a notable act of sportsmanship. Following his spectacular 55-yard bunker shot that left him four feet from the hole, his playing partner Matthieu Pavon lagged his birdie putt within DeChambeau’s ball marker.

Typically, in such a scenario, the closer player would putt first to clear the stage for the other player, allowing them to relish their winning moment without interruption. However, this conventional practice was not followed.

The broadcast captured Pavon offering to putt first on the final hole of the tournament, but DeChambeau declined. According to Pavon, there was an honorable reason behind this decision.

“When we were recording our scores, I apologized to Bryson, saying, ‘I’m really sorry, dude. I should’ve probably finished it.’ But he responded, ‘Dude, you’ve done the right thing. It’s important for you, and you made the right call,'” Pavon recounted to Dan Rapaport on the “Fore Play” podcast Wednesday.

DeChambeau further explained his reasoning, saying, “Thanks for not doing it because you would’ve shown me the line, and I think it’s not fair for Rory [McIlroy]. I don’t want to win it that way.”

Pavon made the correct decision not to finish first on the 18th hole, and DeChambeau expressed his gratitude for allowing him to achieve the win fairly.

In essence, DeChambeau did not want Pavon to putt first because their balls were on a similar line. If Pavon had putted before him, DeChambeau would have gained an unfair advantage by seeing the putt’s break, which he considered unfair to McIlroy, who was in the clubhouse just one stroke behind. Ultimately, DeChambeau made the putt, securing the victory without any guilt of having benefited from a free read on his winning stroke.