Bryson DeChambeau is chasing his second consecutive U.S. Open crown — and third overall — during golf’s third major championship of the season, which began Thursday at storied Oakmont Country Club, just outside of Pittsburgh.

For Mr. DeChambeau, this isn’t just about trophies. He’s determined to influence the very fabric of golf: how the game is played and presented, and how fans connect with it.  “I view my legacy as not just winning golf tournaments,” Mr. DeChambeau said at Oakmont, which is hosting its 10th U.S. Open Championship this weekend. “I view it as how much good can I do for the game outside of playing professionally. That’s the metric that I hold myself up to.”

Mr. DeChambeau, 31, is laser-focused on becoming the first to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Brooks Koepka in 2017 and 2018.  He is defending the silverware he earned at Pinehurst last year, beating Rory McIlroy by one stroke thanks to a memorable greenside bunker shot that left him with a short putt to add to the 2020 U.S. Open title he won at Winged Foot.

He’ll be challenged at Oakmont by the world no. 1, Scottie Scheffler, who has won three of his last four events, including the PGA Championship, and Mr. McIlroy, trying to regain his form after struggling since his historic triumph at the 2025 Masters. Every golfer in the 156-player field will be challenged mentally and physically.

 “It’s the toughest golf course in the world,” Mr. DeChambeau said. “You have to hit the fairways. You have to hit the greens, and you have to two-putt, worst-case scenario. When you’ve got those putts inside 10 feet, you’ve got to make them. It’s a great test of golf.”

If Phil Mickelson was once viewed as the people’s champion for embracing the galleries and feeding off their energy, Mr. DeChambeau has assumed that role for the next generation. When he won at Pinehurst, he celebrated with the fans, allowing them to share in his triumph.

He has even more followers virtually, thanks to his popular YouTube channel, where he shares behind-the-scenes training and deep dives into equipment, innovation, strategy, and mindset with his two million subscribers. He’s also made a hole-in-one, hitting a ball over his house into a golf hole in his backyard, and plays golf with celebrities like Tom Brady and President Trump.

While most golfers play to win majors and money, Mr. DeChambeau says he plays for “the fans, patrons, and the people that are viewing myself on YouTube. That’s what really gets me up in the morning, and gives me a lot of passion for the game.”

The passion grew after the death of his father, Jon DeChambeau, in November 2022 at the age of 63 after battling diabetes and kidney failure. Bryson DeChambeau was always a bit different, earning a degree in physics at Southern Methodist University. His father encouraged that, and his death caused a period of deep reflection.

“It was an awakening moment for me to realize what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, why I’m playing this great game, and what I can do to inspire future generations,” he said.

Much of that led to having more fun and playing for his audience. “It’s been a lot of fun just experiencing what the fans are giving me,” he said. “It’s so much energy.  The only reason why I’m still here with this much energy is because of them.”

Mr. DeChambeau is among the former PGA Tour players who defected to LIV Golf, but he is perhaps the only one whose profile has risen since switching tours. Winning a major championship helps, as does his connection with fans on the course and virtually. His contract with LIV expires next year after he reportedly signed a deal worth more than $100 million in June 2022.

“We’re looking to negotiate at the end of the year, and I’m very excited,” he said. “They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide, and I believe we’ll come to some sort of resolution on that.”

A win at Oakmont would certainly increase his worth. The monster of a layout demands length and accuracy to avoid the deep rough along the fairways. The greens are lightning fast and severely sloped. The famous “Church Pews,” rows of more than 200 bunkers, line the left side of the third and fourth holes. Mr. DeChambeau isn’t scared.

“I think this golf course you have to be a fraction more strategic, especially with the rough so long,” he said. “But I’m going to be as fearless as I can possibly be out there. I know that.”