Bryson DeChambeau believes Scottie Scheffler's triumph at The Open can serve as inspiration for himself and other golfers, adding he still needs to "crack the code" in poor weather conditions.
DeChambeau finished tied for 10th at seven-under, having bounced back from a dismal seven-over-par round of 78 on Thursday – his worst-ever round at a major.
The two-time U.S. Open champion shot rounds of 65, 68 and 64 to surge up the leaderboard, with his final round being tied for the best score of the entire tournament.
Scheffler was the only other golfer to match that score, doing so in round two as he claimed his fourth major title, finishing four shots clear of Harris English.
DeChambeau's dire start came as rain and wind swirled around Royal Portrush on Thursday, with an improvement in conditions coinciding with his upturn.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, DeChambeau said: "It was fair conditions the past few days.
"I always told you guys, I like it when it's fair conditions. I can play well. I still have to crack the code when it's raining and windy.
"But I feel like we're getting close to some opportunities and solutions for that. It just takes a long time to develop stuff, I'm starting to learn.
"It was a fun three days. I was really proud of the way I turned it around and gave myself some hope on the third round, after I was three-under.
"That first nine, I thought, 'Okay, if I go shoot four- or five-under on the back and give myself a chance on Sunday, I could be right up there and giving Scottie a run.
"Scottie's in a league of his own right now. I played with him a lot in college, and he was not that good! So he's figured out a lot of stuff since then. It's really impressive to see and something we can all learn from, for sure.
"For the past three days, I said, 'Every time is go time'. I said, 'I'm going to give myself a chance.'
"I'm not going to pout. I'm going to be free. It's Sunday of a major. I'm going to be free, like what Scottie is doing right now."
DeChambeau received a rousing reception from fans when he sank an 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th, and he believes his contribution to growing golf across various platforms has boosted his popularity.
"I look at the game a little bit differently to others. I want to win. I think we all know that. But there's more than winning," he said.
"There's how you influence a younger population, how you showcase yourself, and what you do for others, what value you give them. The only reason we're getting paid the numbers we're getting paid is because of those individuals out there in the stands.
"Once I started realising that, I started changing my mindset to, 'Okay, what do I need to do to keep them coming back, so they see that I'm trying to showcase this great game?'
"I think there's value created outside of tournament golf. It doesn't mean it's always going to be that way, but I hope that I can add to the game of golf from outside – YouTube, content, entertainment. That's the stuff that excites me now. Not more than tournament golf, but almost as much as tournament golf.
"I like showcasing myself to others and doing fun challenges, because that's just who I am. That has shown people the true side of myself and now I can say, 'Okay, I don't have to play good all the time.'
"I can not do my best and still have relevance and care from others because I'm hopefully growing the game, outside of just playing tournament golf."
DeChambeau is currently sixth in the United States' qualification rankings for September's Ryder Cup, with the top six making Keegan Bradley's team.
Asked about that tournament, DeChambeau said: "I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that's going to be rooting for Team USA."
