DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy faced off in a nail-biting final round at Pinehurst No. 2, with DeChambeau edging the PGA Tour heavyweight byJust one stroke. The LIV Golf hero started the day three strokes ahead of McIlroy, but the tide shifted rapidly on championship Sunday.
McIlroy hit his groove, scoring three birdies between holes 10 and 13, putting him two strokes ahead of DeChambeau with only five holes left. However, the enthusiasm was far McIlroy made three bogeys in the final four holes, including two devastatingly short missed putts on the 16th and 18th.
This opened the door for DeChambeau to make a stunning comeback, sealing his victory with an impressive up-and-down on the 18th. Known for his unconventional approach to golf, DeChambeau’s equipment sparked debate when veteran PGA Tour caddie Kip Henley raised doubts about the legitimacy of his putter.
“If I’m a player around the lead in the US Open, I would ask the USGA to check the specs on this putter,” Henley said in a post on X, with a photo of the putter. “The shaft has to lean away from the head at least 10 degrees; it sure looks vertical. Not being a —- or hating him at all, but it is a rule.”
After Henley’s tweet sparked a flurry of backlash for questioning DeChambeau’s putter choice, Mirror US Sports has taken a deep dive into the Rules of Golf to examine the ruling in question.
The rulebook states: “When assessing the conformity of an adjustable club, it is important to remember the third condition listed in Part 2, Section 1b, and to check that it cannot be adjusted into a position which does not conform to the Equipment Rules.
