Bryson DeChambeau expressed his bewilderment regarding his inability to capitalize on prime opportunities at the PGA Championship, while Jon Rahm described his late collapse as a “tough pill to swallow.” DeChambeau finished as runner-up for the second consecutive year, carding a one-under 70 to place five strokes behind Scottie Scheffler and in a tie for second with Harris English and Davis Riley.
During the third round, DeChambeau held a brief lead and narrowed the gap to two strokes late on the final day. Ultimately, he concluded the tournament at six under, as Scheffler secured his third major victory.
“I felt like I had the game to win this week, and the golf course suited me well,” DeChambeau remarked. “I missed a few putts down the stretch and faced some unfortunate breaks in this great game. It is what it is.” He added, “I’m really baffled right now. It was a good fight, and I’ll take a lot from this as it fuels a bigger fire in my belly.”
DeChambeau’s performance continues to be strong, with top-six finishes in five of the last six majors, including last year’s thrilling one-stroke comeback over Rory McIlroy at the US Open. However, he expressed disappointment in not adding to that tally in the season’s first two majors. “I definitely had opportunities against Rory at The Masters and Scottie this week,” he noted. “I was leading after 16 holes in the third round, but I just didn’t get it done.”
Rahm, meanwhile, wrapped up his tournament in shared eighth position after experiencing a mixture of highs and lows on Sunday. Despite making three birdies in a four-hole span, he fell behind after dropping five strokes over the final three holes, forfeiting his chance for a third major title.
“It was really close,” Rahm reflected. “I felt a blast of fun while playing 15 holes. Even at the start of the day, I swung well despite challenges. The last three holes are tough to swallow right now. However, there were many positives to take into the rest of the year.”
Rahm is determined to rebound, having turned around 54-hole deficits in his previous major victories. “I think this is the first time I’ve been in such a strong position for a major and didn’t close,” he said. “This situation was very different for me. I’ve got to learn to be more precise with wind impact, which can be tough due to my high ball flight.” He remains optimistic about future tournaments, with the U.S. Open on the horizon.
Both DeChambeau and Rahm are set to return to competition at the upcoming LIV Golf League event in Virginia from June 6-8, before setting their sights on major glory at the U.S. Open the following week.
