AUGUSTA — The final pairing of the Masters understandably had its share of tension.
Given the two combatants, and the fact that one had a glorious U.S. Open victory last year while the other lost in excruciating fashion, Sunday’s showdown was bound to be intense.
And it was.
“Didn’t talk to me once all day,” said Bryson DeChambeau, the reigning U.S. Open champ, who nonetheless didn’t expect there to be any conversation with Rory McIlroy.
Asked if he tried to initiate any talk, DeChambeau simply said: “He wouldn’t talk to me.”
“Electric. I loved it,” he said of the atmosphere. “But he was just like—just being focused, I guess. It’s not me, though.”
McIlroy likely had himself to worry about on this day. He admitted being extremely nervous, and it showed on the 1st hole as he missed a drive and ended up making double bogey. When he parred the second hole and DeChambeau birdied, the lead had suddenly flipped.
“Great. Feeling awesome. Felt in control,” DeChameau said. “What’s crazy is the third hole, hit it up there to 20 feet, I’m like, O.K., that’s exactly the way I wanted to play the hole, and that putt, I’ve never seen a putt faster than that. Those greens got really fast. The agronomists here at Augusta National and the Masters, they know how to play complete tricks on you.
“I thought for no valid reason it went 9 feet by. There’s no way that putt goes that far by. I just didn’t realize how firm and fast it could get out here. It’s great experience. Won’t let that happen again.”
That three-putt bogey coupled with McIlroy’s birdie saw DeChambeau out of the lead for good.
He bogeyed the 4th hole and then made a double bogey at the 11th when he found the water to all but end his hopes. He shot a final-round 75 to finish tied for fifth, four shots out of the playoff that McIlroy won over Justin Rose.
DeChambeau lamented his iron play and he said in the end it is what hurt him the most. He finished the tournament 51st in strokes-gained approach and hit just 20 of 36 greens over the weekend.
“Just more of the same with my irons,” DeChambeau said. “Was trying to figure it out from last Sunday. For some reason I’m just not fully optimized. I get over it and I feel like I’m going to hit the heel and I try to pull across it and it just goes left on me.
“If I just had somewhat of good iron play this week, it would have been a lot different outcome. But could have, should have, would haves. You’ve got to do it out here ... I take a lot of good from this week. I’m excited for the rest of my life.”
After struggling at Augusta National, DeChambeau now has contended in back-to-back years, finishing sixth last year.
And he had a moment of compassion in the heat of battle. As he played the 13th hole, DeChambeau was seven shots back when McIlroy hit his third shot in the water.
“I wanted to cry for him,” DeChambeau said of the mistake that led to a double bogey and opened up the tournament again. “I mean, as a professional, you just know to hit it in the middle of the green, and I can’t believe he went for it, or must have just flared it.
“But I’ve hit bad shots in my career, too, and it happens. When you’re trying to win a major championship, especially out here, Sunday of Augusta, the Masters, you have to just do it and get the job done and do it right. There were times where it looked like he had full control and at times where it’s like, what’s going on?
“Kind of looked like one of my rounds, actually.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryson DeChambeau Laments Poor Iron Play in Masters That Got Away.