Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis became the fifth player to capture the NCAA individual championship and the U.S. Amateur Championship in the same year when he routed Derek Bard of New Hartford, N.Y., 7 and 6, in the scheduled 36-hole final at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago.
DeChambeau, a senior at SMU, joined Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996) and Ryan Moore (2004) as the only players to pull off that unique double by winning the 115th edition of our national amateur championship.
“Having my name etched on this trophy with the great Bob Jones as well as Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, all those guys, it’s incredible,” said the 21-year-old DeChambeau, who figures to improve on his No. 7 spot in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. “I can’t even imagine what I just did. It won’t sink in, I’m sure, for the next couple days. But I’m honored.
“I’m in golf history. That’s pretty incredible. I don’t understand it yet. I had a little bit of an understanding of what I just did, but I haven’t felt the impact of it yet. That’s an honor to be in that field.”
Bard, who plays college golf at Virginia, held a 2-up lead after seven holes, but DeChambeau turned the match around by chipping in for a winning birdie at No. 8.
DeChambeau won the 10th hole to square the match and then took command by winning three in a row through the 16th hole and had a 2-up lead when they broke for lunch after 18 holes.
Bard, who won the Sunnehanna Amateur earlier this year, got one back by winning the first hole of the afternoon, but DeChambeau won four of the next five holes, three with birdies, to take a 5-up lead. The lead grew to 8-up when he captured the 26th, 27th and 28 holes before Bard won the 29th.
When they halved the 30th hole with pars, it was over.
