DeChambeau wins Dell to make it two straight
NORTON, Mass. — Bryson DeChambeau has found the right formula for the richest part of the PGA Tour season.
Coming off a four-shot victory last week in New Jersey, the 24-year-old physics major knows as the “Mad Scientist” pulled away with three straight birdies to close out the front nine and kept his distance the rest of the way to win the Dell Technologies Championship on Monday.
DeChambeau closed with a 4-under 67 for a two-shot victory on the TPC Boston, becoming only the second player in the 12 years of the lucrative FedEx Cup to win the opening two playoff events.
“I wouldn’t have written it any better, to be honest with you,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve been playing some great golf this whole year. And I knew it was a matter of time before something cool showed up.”
Vijay Singh did it in 2008 before the points system was changed to create more volatility. Singh effectively had the $10 million prize wrapped up before the finale.
DeChambeau, with his third victory this year, was assured of being the No. 1 seed when he gets to the Tour Championship, no matter what happens next week at the third playoff event outside Philadelphia.
And he would appear to be a shoo-in to be one of U.S. captain Jim Furyk’s three Ryder Cup picks to be announced Tuesday. The idea is to find the hottest player to fill out the team, and no one has been close to DeChambeau over the last two weeks.
DeChambeau, who started the year at No. 99 in the world, moved past Rory McIlroy to No. 7. He finished at 16-under 268 and made $1,620,000 for the second straight week.
Starting the final round one shot behind Abraham Ancer, and among 10 players within four shots of the lead, DeChambeau had a two-putt birdie from 50 feet on No. 7, took the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 220-yard eighth hole, and then hit his approach to 6 feet to a back right pin at No. 9 for his third straight birdie.
Justin Rose birdied three of his last four holes for a 68 and wound up alone in second.
The likely Ryder Cup choices would seem to be DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Woods closed with a 71 and tied for 24th. Mickelson, who has played on every Ryder Cup team since 1995, boosted his case by winning a World Golf Championships event in Mexico in March, and he made nine birdies Monday in a closing round of 63.