Dividing opinion has been the story of Bryson DeChambeau’s career, with the LIV Golf star never afraid to push boundaries in the hope of improving.
There is no question that some were not particularly impressed when Bryson DeChambeau decided to transform his body from late 2019 in the hope of adding a considerable amount of speed to his swing.
Justin Thomas was amongst those who thought DeChambeau’s plan would not work. But the American was vindicated when he won the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot. It appeared that DeChambeau was almost playing another course that week as he secured his first major title.
But the signs were there that DeChambeau was starting to make waves in the majors.
What Adam Scott thought after playing alongside Bryson DeChambeau for the first time
Heading into 2020, DeChambeau had not registered a single top 10 in the four biggest events of the year. In fact, he had just one top 20 in his first 15 major appearances.
However, he was in the mix to win the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. DeChambeau only found his way into the top 10 after the third round. But he went on to have a share of the lead at one stage on Sunday before ultimately finishing tied for fourth.
DeChambeau played alongside Adam Scott for the first two rounds in San Francisco. But it seems that the Australian was almost a little underwhelmed.
Scott was asked after the first round what he made of playing alongside DeChambeau for the first time in a tour event.
“Yeah, he’s hitting it long. There’s no doubt about it. Not to like put him down any, but I thought it was going to be longer,” he said. “There’s been so much buildup, me reading the news and listening to him and watching him play, I thought I was going to see like almost one of those long-drive guys,” he said.
“Look, he hits it really far, but fortunately I still hit it long enough to not feel like I’m playing a different golf course, completely. Maybe that’s just this course, though,” he added.
The interesting comments Bryson DeChambeau made after the PGA Championship – six weeks before his first US Open triumph
DeChambeau must have had mixed feelings about his performance given that he had struggled in the majors previously. Two bogeys just before the turn put paid to his hopes of winning.
But it seems that he was not struggling to take the positives from the week. And his comments after the final round seem particularly interesting given that Winged Foot was six weeks away.
“It’s super validating. I don’t know how else to put it. Very excited for the future for me. Look, my driving I think is only going to get stronger and farther, golf-course-dependent, obviously,” he said.
“But I hope in due time there’s going to be an advantage that’s out there that, you know, hopefully — I don’t know how else to put it in a nicer way, but gives me a really distinct advantage that helps me win a lot out here. I feel like my putting is good enough. I just have to improve the irons and wedges a little bit, and clearly, like on the last hole, wedge didn’t do what I wanted to do, and just keep with the driving and hopefully I’ll be right there every time.”
That development shows how dangerous ever writing DeChambeau off is. He may go down some questionable paths, but he always seems to find the right one eventually.
And given that he has had three good looks at winning in a row now in 2025, it should come as no surprise to see him get his hands on the PGA Championship trophy in the coming weeks.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
