Eddie Pepperell has revealed that he is on the fence regarding how genuine the actions of Bryson DeChambeau are, with the LIV Golf star winning a lot of admirers after one incident in particular at the PGA Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau was certainly one of the stories of the PGA Championship at Valhalla, with the American taking the clubhouse lead during the final round, reaching -20 as Xander Schauffele was back down to the fairway.
Ultimately, it was not enough, with Schauffele breaking the major championship record in Kentucky. But DeChambeau is definitely knocking on the door after seriously contending at the first two majors of the year.
And he appears to have won plenty of fans, particularly after an incident in which he attempted to throw his ball to a young fan. The 30-year-old was unhappy with an adult managing to snatching the ball first, and made sure that he did not keep it.
Eddie Pepperell expresses doubt over Bryson Dechambeau
DeChambeau has been a divisive figure throughout his golf career, and has definitely managed to rub fans up the wrong way over the years. But his popularity appears to be growing at a rapid rate right now.
Interestingly, speaking on The Chipping Forecast podcast, Eddie Pepperell suggested he is really not sure whether DeChambeau has changed his ways, or whether he knows how to play to the galleries.
“The cynic in me gives it at least a 50/50 percent chance that he’s not genuine,” he said.
“I think it doesn’t [matter] if he comes across as mostly genuine. Obviously, to Bryson, the issue maybe for Bryson is there’s been enough things happen in his career which makes you just doubt, it gives you a bit more doubt. I think with Phil Mickelson, he rarely had those instances during his career that made you, certainly publicly, consider whether or not it was genuine, and I think for a long, long time, everyone believed that this is Phil Mickelson. And of course, we’re all a bit like that to some degree.
“I remember in Saudi Arabia, a long time ago when I was there, I lost my luggage and he bought me some toothpaste. He was genuinely very kind, he bought me some toothpaste and a few bits and bobs from the store in the hotel; it might sound odd, but he did it, no one else did it, and he was very nice.
“And then I played with him a couple of months after that in Mexico, and I remember we were having a conversation on one hole, just mid-conversation he completely cut out and started talking to his caddie about something else as if he was entirely vacant the whole time. So I think I’ve seen both sides of Bryson, and I think because he’s a superstar and because he knows he’s a superstar, I think he plays up to that. I do think he’s also tried to turn a corner personally, and so, these acts of service if you like are becoming a bit more ingrained and a bit more genuine, but I’m still not sure.”
American has done remarkably to change his image
DeChambeau starting his YouTube channel appears to have gone a long way in changing perceptions of the 2020 US Open champion.
Certainly, many of those who moved to LIV Golf did little for their popularity when they jumped ship, so some would not have been shocked when DeChambeau was one of those to make the move.
It is quite something that he has managed therefore, to really start winning the people over. Perhaps there is an element of a concerted effort to change his image, but the fact that there are still moments only DeChambeau could be involved in hints that he is really trying to make an effort.
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