DeChambeau in top 10 after mix-up over cut

• Senior golf writer for ESPN.com
• Covered golf for more than 20 years
• Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana University

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bryson DeChambeau made the most of his adventurous weekend, returning from his Dallas home early Saturday morning after he believed he had missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship to shoot a pair of 68s and move into the top 10.

DeChambeau, who is ranked fifth in the world, joked Saturday that it was an expensive mistake to have traveled home after the second round and then have to head back on his Netjets private travel deal.

No worries.

By finishing in the top 10 on Sunday, DeChambeau will make more than $220,000, an amount he said would cover the tab.

“It definitely will, for sure,” DeChambeau said after finishing at 280, 4 under par. “But it was more for me. The cost wasn’t really anything I was worried about. I really didn’t want to disappoint Wells Fargo and Quail Hollow and the guys who put up this tournament and give so much to charity.

“I mean, that’s one of the things I want to support. And fans out here, didn’t want to disappoint them. That’s something that’s super important to me about growing the game. I would definitely make that expense twice, twice as much for me to get back here to do that again.”

DeChambeau said Saturday he briefly considered withdrawing Friday night after returning home and learning that his score of 144, 2 over par, had made the 36-hole cut. He left because at the time he finished, he was around 90th place and thought he had no chance.

As it turned out, DeChambeau ended up in a tie for 64th, 8 shots back of the 36-hole leaders.

“It was worth it. It no doubt was worth it,” he said Sunday. “That’s what I was hoping to do this weekend when I was on that plane at 2:45 a.m. [Saturday]. Yeah, I wanted to make it worth it. I didn’t want to come out here and finish 60-whatever, close to last. Even at that, it’s still FedEx Cup points, it’s still world ranking points. I was pleased to have come back and finished. Hopefully I can get inside the top 10 and be there and keep moving up the world rankings.

“The goal is obviously to be No. 1, and I want to be at the Olympics, so we’ll keep moving forward in the right direction. If I get my driving going next week, I like that golf course and hopefully I can play well out there.”

DeChambeau is scheduled to play in this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson followed by the PGA Championship a week later.

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