DeChambeau, who plays on the LIV Golf tour, expressed sympathy for his beaten rival after celebrating his success on the 18th green.
“For him to miss that putt [on 18], I would never wish that on anybody,” said the American after his final-round 71 helped him finish six under par, one shot ahead of McIlroy and two better off than compatriots Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau.
“I think that fire in him is only going to continue to grow. He’s going to win more major championships.
“I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf because, to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was two ahead, I was like, ‘uh-oh, uh-oh’. But luckily things went my way.”
DeChambeau went one better after finishing second to Xander Schauffele in the USPGA last month, losing out by one shot despite posting a 20-under-par total.
“Oh, man, I didn’t want to finish second again. The PGA really stung,” he said.
“That bunker shot was the shot of my life.
He continued: “I don’t know what to think. It fully hasn’t sunk in yet. I just want everybody to enjoy it, as well. As much as it is heartbreaking for some people, it was heartbreak for me at the PGA. I really wanted this one.”
