McIlroy On DeChambeau's US Open Strategy: 'Hard To Wrap My Head Around It'

The four-time Major winner says that Bryson DeChambeau is taking advantage of where golf is right now

McIlroy On DeChambeau's US Open Strategy
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The four-time Major winner says that Bryson DeChambeau is taking advantage of where golf is right now

McIlroy On DeChambeau's US Open Strategy: 'Hard To Wrap My Head Around It'

Rory McIlroy says he finds it hard to wrap his head around the fact that Bryson DeChambeau hit just 4 of his last 21 fairways to win the US Open.

The US Open is typically about who drives the ball the best with thick rough tending to lead to hack-outs and lay-ups, although DeChambeau, and Matthew Wolff as well, completely defied that theory.

Both men employed strategies to hit the ball as far up the hole as possible and if, more like when, they missed the fairway a wedge or a 9 iron was much easier to hit from the rough as opposed to a 7 or 6 iron.

"I don't really know what to say because that's just the complete opposite of what you think a US Open champion does," Rory McIlroy, who was T3rd in both fairways hit and greens in regulation, said after his T8th finish.

"Look, he's [DeChambeau] found a way to do it. Whether that's good or bad for the game, I don't know, but it's not the way I saw this golf course being played or this tournament being played. It's kind of hard to really wrap my head around it."

DeChambeau was T26th in fairways hit for the week with just 41% - although that was 2% above average - and another standout stat was that Matthew Wolff hit just two fairways in his Saturday 65, the joint-lowest round of the week.

There has been lots of chat about the ball, golf equipment technology and the 'bomb and gauge' strategy employed by the likes of DeChambeau and Wolff, and McIlroy says that Bryson has taken advantage of where the game is at the moment.

"I think it's brilliant, but I think he's taken advantage of where the game is at the minute," Rory said.

"Look, again, whether that's good or bad, but it's just the way it is. With the way he approaches it, with the arm-lock putting, with everything, it's just where the game's at right now.

"I'm not saying that's right or wrong. He's just taking advantage of what we have right now."

Related: How social media reacted to Bryson DeChambeau's US Open win

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV