Bryson DeChambeau has always been one of the most intriguing characters in the game, with the two-time major champion never afraid to push the boundaries on the golf course.
It did not take long for Bryson DeChambeau to put the golfing world on notice when his career began. Many will remember the first time they saw the quirky golfer sporting the flat cap use a set of irons which boasted shafts of all the same length.
DeChambeau has not helped himself with some of his comments over the years. He was rarely afraid to wind people up. And it did appear at the time that plenty took the side of Brooks Koepka when the pair had their feud.
Of course, DeChambeau leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf did not initially appear to help his popularity either.
Brandel Chamblee suggests whether he thinks Bryson DeChambeau is being genuine
But perceptions of DeChambeau have changed dramatically in recent years. His YouTube channel has allowed his personality to stand out a lot more.
And it was remarkable just how beloved DeChambeau was at Pinehurst last year after clinching the US Open. Once again, few will ever forget the sight of the Crushers captain running down the 18th hole so most of the fans in attendance could get a touch of the trophy.
The question we may never get an answer to however, is how genuine is DeChambeau being? Some are always likely to be sceptical because of the way he has conducted himself in the past.
But speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, Brandel Chamblee – who has never been afraid to criticise LIV – admitted that he is a big fan of the defending champion this week at Oakmont.
“There’s a lot of people that think it is calculated, but as I used to say about Phil Mickelson, it doesn’t really matter if it’s calculated or not. All that matters are the people are entertained and they get the autograph, get the exchange, because sport is really about entertainment. And he’s great entertainment. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone more entertaining in the game of golf than Bryson,” he said.
“I don’t know, I feel like it’s sincere. I’m kind of gullible that way, Dan. I look at him, I’m like, alright, I’m buying it. He looks like a hell of a nice guy to me, sounds like a nice guy. Maybe he’s a little awkward socially amongst his peers.
“But right now, I’m not going to say the most devastating; Scottie Scheffler‘s iron play’s the most devastating weapon in the game, but when I watch Bryson hit driver, it reminds me of Steph Curry hitting threes. You can’t do what he’s doing. Scottie Scheffler’s the best driver in the world as far as we know, because we don’t have the data on Bryson on LIV events, but eye test wise, Bryson’s the best driver of the golf ball in the world. That’s obviously hugely important this week.”
Bryson DeChambeau spoke about gaining a better perspective on life ahead of the US Open
The problem for DeChambeau is that unless he really lets the mask slip publicly, the outside world is never going to know for certain. But it is notable that he is saying a lot of the same things that he was before. That would suggest that he is being genuine in how he conducts himself.
And ahead of the US Open, he was asked about when he gained a better perspective on things.
“Yeah, I mean, just recently, like the past few years. Losing my father was difficult. Some other stuff happened, as well. For me personally, it was an awakening moment for me to realize what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, why I’m playing this great game and what I can do to inspire future generations because — look, I view my legacy as not just winning golf tournaments. I view it as how much good can I do for the game outside of playing professionally. That’s a metric that I hold myself up to,” he said.
“The start is YouTube, but there is so much more that’s coming down the line, and that’s also what gets me up every day, as well.”
As mentioned, some will never fully trust DeChambeau is being himself. But if that is the case, it is arguably clear that he is becoming an outstanding actor.
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