The evolution continues for Bryson DeChambeau.
Andrew Redington, Getty Images
The reinvention of Bryson DeChambeau may be perpetual. In the same way DeChambeau chases the ideas that pop into his head, whether it’s 3D printing his irons or conjuring up content for his popular YouTube channel, DeChambeau is a unique work in progress. Given his curiosity which has led him down rabbit holes and to the top of the game, remaining stationary seems counterintuitive and counterproductive to him. Winning the U.S. Open at Pinehurst last month, doing it with a spectacular long bunker shot to save par on the 72nd hole while simultaneously finishing off the faltering Rory McIlroy, further redefined DeChambeau, whose evolution as a player and personality were jolted forward by his victory.
For all of the decade-long drama associated with McIlroy’s quest to win another major championship, it was DeChambeau who won more than the U.S. Open. He won respect for how he played and appreciation for who he is. If DeChambeau came across as a circus act during his beefed-up, bacon-gorging days, he now comes across as more refined, physically and personally.
Not everyone is buying it, but to see the reaction to DeChambeau’s victory in the steamy North Carolina Sandhills and in the days that followed, it is clear that he has caused many to rethink their feelings about him. He has won U.S. Opens at Winged Foot, where he overpowered a supposed beast of a golf course in 2020, and at Pinehurst No. 2, where finesse and patience were essential.
Now comes the Open Championship at Royal Troon where the equation is entirely different. The weather forecast calls for enough wind to matter and spotty rain showers, giving the Open Championship its proper staging on a links that, despite what Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson did there eight years ago, has a reputation for being demanding and unforgiving. TrackMan numbers won’t win this Open Championship. It’s about the art of playing golf, more than hitting numbers, and DeChambeau understands that.
“Even as technical as I am, I still need to see and feel things as much as possible.” – Bryson DeChambeau
On the first hole of his first practice round at Troon, DeChambeau stood on the 10th tee and wasn’t sure where to go until his caddie gave him direction.
“Getting up there and getting a good feel and being comfortable with the visuals is one of the most important things,” DeChambeau said. “Even as technical as I am, I still need to see and feel things as much as possible.”
Playing links golf comes naturally to some. Tom Watson won five Open Championships. From 1963 through 1980, Jack Nicklaus finished outside the top five just twice and won three times. For DeChambeau, who has built his game around his uncommon power, the learning process continues.
“It’s a challenge. I think that’s what’s so great about links golf and the Open Championship, and what it provides is a different test … to try and figure out and get an A on, I guess you could say,” DeChambeau said. “For me, I played well at Royal Lytham St. Annes when it was firm and fast in the [2015] Walker Cup. Played well at St. Andrews [T8 in 2022]. Played well at other places. But it’s always been a difficult test for me because I wasn’t great at putting early on in my career. I’ve gotten a little bit better. My wedge game has gotten better. I’ve learned to flight the ball a little bit.
So, slowly it’s getting there. Just a couple more reps. Shoot, if I play well this week, I think I can give myself a good chance obviously.”
DeChambeau, who averages a LIV-leading 322.5 yards per drive, said he can’t overpower Troon, and finding the right spots to use his driver remains a pre-tournament priority. That said, playing to his strengths will be central to DeChambeau’s approach.
“I’m just going to keep entertaining and showcasing to the fans what this great game is all about.” – Bryson DeChambeau
He finds himself in a different place as a result of his Pinehurst victory. Some fans may never get over DeChambeau’s decision to join LIV Golf and his aggressive support of the new league. His brashness also made it difficult for many to embrace DeChambeau on the PGA Tour, where the 30-year-old native Californian has won nine times since turning pro in 2016, even though his game was magnetic.
It was different at Pinehurst, though, and it’s because DeChambeau appears to be different. The loss of his father in late 2022 cut deep, and he has talked about his faith and his reliance on others as he has grown into a softer version of himself.
“You could say it’s bothered [me], but it was more of like, Dang, I’m disappointed that people don’t see who I am. It’s cool to get people to see who I am now,” DeChambeau said
“I’m just going to keep entertaining and showcasing to the fans what this great game is all about.”
While it can sound stage-managed at times, DeChambeau sees himself as an entertainer. The success of his online videos has helped his image and allows him to do what he does so well: see and interact with a wider world.
There have been bumps. He has been involved in a lawsuit with his former long-time coach Mike Schy that has gone public. Asked at Troon about it, DeChambeau sounded philosophical.
“Things will work themselves out,” DeChambeau said. “They always do.”
Last week at the LIV event in Spain, DeChambeau’s Crushers teammate Anirban Lahiri missed a putt from inside 2 feet on the final hole that would have won the title, eventually losing in a playoff. DeChambeau, the team captain, played counselor, telling Lahiri: “Hey, this is OK. You’re playing the best golf of your career. Do not reminisce. Move forward. It was the best piece of advice that we could give him.”
When DeChambeau crossed paths with McIlroy at Troon – their first face-to-face contact since Pinehurst – they shook hands and McIlroy extended congratulations. “Everything’s great there,” DeChambeau said.
That has become a theme for DeChambeau, who came within one stroke of a playoff at the PGA Championship in May.
“You just realize that this great game is not always going to be here. I’m not always going to be here. I’m going to move on at some point, and I want to do as much as I can in the short time I’ve been given,” DeChambeau said.
“So, yeah, I’m as happy as I ever have been.”
