For the second year in a row, Bryson DeChambeau has opened up with a round at The Masters which hints that he may be starting to work Augusta National out a little more.
It seems remarkable to think that before 2024, Bryson DeChambeau‘s best finish at The Masters came when he was an amateur back in 2016. Something appears to have clicked for the LIV Golf star in the last couple of years, particularly in the majors.
He was not quite able to replicate his 65 from last year, but DeChambeau is most definitely in the mix to win at Augusta National. He posted a three under par round of 69 to find himself four shots back of Justin Rose.
The 31-year-old clearly had the potential to go even lower, having made seven birdies across Thursday. DeChambeau noted that making bogeys can almost free him up at Augusta.
Smylie Kaufman assesses Bryson DeChambeau’s chances of winning The Masters
The challenge now will be building on that score. DeChambeau shot over par for his final three rounds 12 months ago. It is hard to imagine that doing the same again will be good enough to earn him a first green jacket.
And speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman noted that he has mixed feelings about the Crushers captain’s chances.
“He averaged 342 yards driving distance off the tee today. Rory McIlroy was up there for a while with 335, until he hit three wood on 17 and then kind of missed one on 18. But driving distance I think is going to continue to be a weapon for Bryson DeChambeau,” he said.
“Throw in his putting and his short game and I think it is going to complement it. I think what it is all going to come down to for Bryson is can he control his irons? We all know how long he hits it but at times he tends to hit things too firmly, which are three quarter distanced. You have to be so precise around here. I am wondering on a windy day is he going to be able to hit it pin high enough?”
Why DeChambeau feels LIV Golf has helped him in the majors after another impressive start at Augusta National
DeChambeau has definitely been LIV Golf’s biggest success story when it comes to making an impact in the major championship. Only he and Brooks Koepka have won majors since joining LIV.
But DeChambeau was exceptional in the first three majors last year. As well as registering his best finish at The Masters, he finished second at the PGA Championship before winning the US Open.
And speaking after his opening round at Augusta one year ago, DeChambeau suggested that it is because of playing on LIV that his major record has improved.
“You’re talking about the schedule, essentially? Yeah, you can look at it multiple ways for me. I feel like that sort of schedule that LIV has has provided me good, ample time to get ready for tournaments like this,” he said.
“Look, it would be fine either way. I’m not going to side one way or the other. It is what is it. I just made good use of the time that I’ve been allocated on LIV to work on my golf swing, work on the equipment that I have, and getting to a place where I’m super comfortable going into the week.
“We played Doral last week, which is a brutal test of golf, and I feel like it was a good thing that we played there and got ready for this week, because this is obviously one of the best tests in golf.”
It is an interesting one because DeChambeau has not actually won on LIV since 2023. He had a quiet year in the league in 2024, and has rarely been in contention so far this season.
But it seems that he may have found a formula which leads to more success in the majors. And he certainly looks to be ready for another charge at winning The Masters.
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