DeChambeau’s rare 58 delivers LIV Golf Greenbrier win

WASHINGTON: Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, fired a rare 58 in the final round to win the LIV Golf Greenbrier title on Sunday.

The 29-year-old American had 13 birdies against a lone bogey to shoot 12-under and finish on 23-under 187 for the 54-hole event at the resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia.

That was enough for a six-stroke victory over Chile´s Mito Pereira, who fired a closing 63. "It´s beyond words," DeChambeau said. "I´ve been working so hard for a long time and I knew something special was going to come at some point. I just didn´t know when."

DeChambeau called it "probably the greatest moment in my golfing career." "I had something special going today and I just felt super comfortable over tee shots," he said. "I just kind of felt everything clicking. Missed it in the right places when I needed to and putted beautifully."

DeChambeau´s score at the Old White course on the upstart Saudi-backed circuit matched the lowest round in US PGA Tour history, the 12-under 58 fired by American Jim Furyk in 2016 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.

"Being a part of the same agency, as well, is kind of fun," DeChambeau said of the elite-level 58 club. The Old White hosted a PGA event from 2010 to 2019 and Australian Stuart Appleby fired a 59 in the final round of the inaugural tournament to win the title.

DeChambeau birdied 22 of his last 34 holes on The Old White for his first victory since the 2021 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. "Just having my place in history here is something I´ll cherish for the rest of my life," DeChambeau said after his course-record effort.

It also was DeChambeau´s first win since his father, Jon DeChambeau, died last November at age 63 after years of battling kidney disease. "He was with me out there all day today, no doubt," DeChambeau said.

"It has been a really difficult couple of years but doing it this way and finishing out with a 58... it´s just amazing what I was able to do. I´m super excited."

Asked if the 58 might bring a call from US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson to play next month against Europe in Italy, DeChambeau was matter of fact about the prospect. "If I do get a call that would be awesome," he said. "If not, I´ll be rooting them on over in Rome."

Other 58s worldwide include those fired by Japan´s Ryo Ishikawa in 2010 and South Korea´s Kim Seong-hyeon in 2021 on the Japan Tour, American Jason Bohn in 2001 on the Canadian Tour, Germany´s Stephan Jaeger in 2016 on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour and Spain´s Alejandro del Rey in 2021 on the Challenge Tour.

DeChambeau opened with back-to-back birdies, reeled off four in a row starting at the fourth hole, took his lone bogey at the par-3 eighth but followed with back-to-back birdies at nine and 10.

He said he pondered a 54 after six birdies in the first seven holes but "I threw that to the wayside, like just get under 60 first."

He birdied the par-5 12th then closed with consecutive birdies at the par-3 15th, par-4 16th and par-5 17th, knocking in a six-foot putt, and the par-3 18th, where he sank a 40-foot putt from over a ridge in rainy conditions for 58, then jumped for joy and pumped his right fist in celebration. "I pretty much felt like I blacked out after I made that putt," said DeChambeau.