Bryson DeChambeau won the US Open and captured the hearts of fans in Pinehurst

Bryson DeChambeau did what many of us do at Pinehurst : come as one version of himself, and leave as another.

Why it matters: Once one of golf's most provocative antagonists , DeChambeau gathered waves of supporters over his four-day parade around the No. 2 course, capped by an eruption on the final green Sunday after his putt to capture the U.S. Open Championship in the village long known for its healing powers .

The big picture: Golf may not strike everybody's fancy, but the people who do care about it really, really care. And Pinehurst cares more than any other place in the country.

• DeChambeau, a 30-year-old known for his eccentric tics , will have his name forever tied to the small village. Photos of his championship moments will live for generations in the clubhouse hallways and surrounding hotels.

How it happened: Like the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, this tournament will be remembered as one of the best ever played.

• DeChambeau battled with one of the greats of the game in Rory McIlroy, with the lead flip-flopping between the two during the last nine holes. McIlroy even took a two-stroke lead.
• But McIlroy missed two short putts over the last three holes, bogeying holes 15, 16 and 18, giving DeChambeau a chance to win with just a par on his last hole.
• And after a horrible drive off the 18 tee, DeChambeau hit his signature shot of the championship, a long bunker blast to within four fee of the hole. He sank that putt, then bent his knees and looked skyward while fans showered him with cheers.

Fun fact: DeChambeau spent years wearing a flat driver cap as a nod to his idol, the late Payne Stewart, winner of the 1999 U.S. Open.

• DeChambeau switched over to a baseball-style cap a couple of years ago.
• But he brought the driver cap back last week, hooked to his bag "as a remembrance of [Stewart]," DeChambeau said after Friday's round. "It's with me and makes me think of him every time I'm walking on these grounds."
• Stewart, who died in an aviation accident in October 1999, is memorialized at Pinehurst with a statue that fans still take photos with, a quarter-century later.