Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau have both played huge roles in growing the game of golf, but both in very different ways.
Bubba Watson has praised DeChambeau for his efforts in that regard, with the latter gaining plenty of attention for his content creation on social media.
Woods meanwhile has proven himself to be a much more traditional figure, and remains a huge name on the PGA Tour despite his injury issues.
Dan Rapaport thinks it ‘might be it’ for Woods due to his latest problem, with the 15-time major champion having recently needed surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
DeChambeau on the other hand continues to headline LIV Golf, having left the PGA Tour for the breakaway tour in 2022.
When Bryson DeChambeau played with his ‘idol’ Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines
A year before that move, the relationship between the pair was brought to light by DeChambeau, who spoke of meeting Woods for the first time on the Full Send podcast in 2021.
“He has been great,” said DeChambeau. “The first time I met him in 2018 – this is hilarious – I was possibly the most nervous I have ever been on the golf course in my entire life.
“More nervous than the Ryder Cup, the long drive thing I am doing today. It was by far the coolest, most nerve-racking experience.
“Number 10 at Torrey Pines, that’s where I played with him the first time. He asked me to go and play and I was like let’s do it, why not.
“We get out there and there is media everywhere. And Tiger was just as stoic as ever. I had been texting with him a little bit but I shook his hand and there was nothing, like nothing.
“He would just look at you and walk right past you like you were nothing. He would just look at you and look away and not even know you were there anymore. That’s how weird but amazing it was.
“So I talk to him ‘okay, cool, whatever’. Go to the 10th tee and hit a drive and as we were walking down the course I don’t know what to say to him.
“He is my idol and somebody I had grown up wanting to play golf with and compete against. And for the first two or three holes there was really not much at all to be said.
“Then finally on 12 I asked him about something in his putting and it was like, because I am a geek when it comes to putting and golf, he is a nerd as well! Complete nerd! I love it. It’s super awesome.
“I started talking to him about putting and he just goes down the rabbit hole man, it was as deep you think you can go with putting and he went even deeper. He knows anything and everything about putting! We just connected super well from that.”
Why Tiger Woods may not feel so warmly towards Bryson DeChambeau now
The relationship between Woods and DeChambeau may have strained somewhat since that moment, led, of course, by the latter’s move to LIV Golf.
Woods disagreed with players joining LIV back in 2022, with the two tours yet to reach an agreement on a merger despite lengthy talks.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner has been a key stakeholder in those talks, while DeChambeau has been a central figure in really trying to take LIV Golf to another level.
DeChambeau has since seemingly played a role in trying to form some sort of alliance, having taken on Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler alongside Brooks Koepka in an exhibition match late last year.
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