Bryson DeChambeau and the Art of Being Weird
Bryson DeChambeau is not your typical professional golfer in every sense of the word. And that’s OK.
When Bryson DeChambeau hit his drive into the left waste area on his 72nd hole of the 2024 US Open Championship, we all suspected something entertaining was about to transpire. When we saw his golf ball nestled up to a tree root leaving him with minimal options for his second shot, our suspicions were confirmed.
Bryson managed to advance his ball into a bunker some 50 yards away from the 18th green, leaving him with what many professionals agree is the hardest shot in golf: a medium-length bunker shot that would require every ounce of skill and calculation the self-proclaimed Scientist could muster.
By now we’ve all seen what happened next. Bryson hits what he later called the “shot of his life” to about five feet to set up a trophy-winning par save for the ages securing his second US Open title. It was as extraordinary a of a golf shot you’ll ever see accomplished by a player who is anything but ordinary. (Granted, two missed short par putts by Rory McIlroy contributed to the final result as well.)
However, Bryson’s biggest accomplishment had already taken place by the time he exalted at his triumph on Pinehurst’s final hole: by cementing his newer, more entertaining persona for golf’s next generation throughout the week.
Those of us who watched the tournament on TV heard the announcers mention the “new and improved” Bryson DeChambeau multiple times. No doubt a pre-planned speaking point on the LIV Golf star, mentions of Bryson’s growth and maturity since his 2020 US Open win was as abundant as those of the course’s Carolina Wiregrass or waste areas. In fact, during one of the week’s most memorable pieces of content despite occurring long after the tournament’s completion, a subtle nod to The New Bryson was uttered by Golf Channel’s Johnson Wagner straight to Bryson’s face.
The entire segment is below:
Following Wagner’s second attempt at recreating Bryson’s bunker shot — leading to easily the best piece of impromptu golf content in years — Wagner adeptly composed himself to interview the newest US Open champ on the spot. In his questioning, Wagner admits he has long been a fan of Bryson’s while never fully understanding what Bryson “had going on.” He also recollects a separate conversation with “some LIV caddies” about Bryson, who reportedly told Wagner “he is like the greatest dude now.”
Now.
On its surface, this is likely a throwaway adverb that Wagner probably didn’t even realize he said. However, in the context of the greater week-long narrative around Bryson, it’s also significantly astute.
It’s undeniable that Bryson’s journey as a public figure has been odd at times and borderline off-putting to some. Heck, this is the same guy who quipped that Augusta National is more of a par-67 for long hitters like him. His “feud” with fellow LIV star Brooks Koepka satiated social media lurkers many times over. His scientist persona seems layered with snake oil and psuedo-science despite Bryson’s degree in physics from SMU. I mean, the guy soaks his golf balls in epsom salt, for crying out loud.
But at the end of the day, none of this is harmful to anyone. His ridiculous takes on his growing YouTube Channel are both hilarious and eye-rollingly juvenile, but also engrossing and engaging. Bryson is both as harmless and annoying as a puppy in new surroundings. He’s a hoot to have around guests, just make sure you’ve laid down a few pee pads.
At a time when men’s professional golf has become overrun with negativity and divisiveness, Bryson DeChambeau is out there being himself, as goofy and superficial as it may seem. Somehow, it also comes across as genuine. It is entirely believable that Bryson is completely bananas 24/7, even in mixed company. Shame on us (including me) for trying to find anything negative about that.
Yeah, Bryson DeChambeau is a weird dude. But he’s also doing all the right things for an athlete of his stature and prominence, which goes well beyond signing autographs for legions of youngsters or pumping up the gallery in the middle of US Open Sunday.
He is unashamed to be himself while being unconcerned with being anyone else. So far, it seems to be working quite well.
What Bryson DeChambeau is Really Proving
Bryson DeChambeau is running a grand experiment in which we are all test subjects.
While I tend to focus more on the podcast these days, the temptation to opine on current golf happenings never goes away. On the rare occasion that my schedule allows it, I’ll dip my toes into the blogging waters every now and then. Today is one of those days.
The Curious Case of Bryson
So much has been said already about the eccentricities of Bryson DeChambeau, and I’m not sure if I have anything new to offer other than my own spin. We all knew his personality would offer mountains of journalistic fodder, so it should be no surprise he turned it up a notch when a freakin’ pandemic hit.
Bryson left to his own devices is a bull in a china shop. His desire to succeed by following his own rules is overshadowed only by what is immense boredom. This is a man who spent the majority of quarantine eating everything in sight, working out like a linebacker, packing on dozens of pounds, and filming it for all to see. Is that narcissism any current golf blogger would envy, or an odd attempt at self-PR that… well… kind of worked?
Correction: it definitely worked, because we’re all still talking about it. Bryson was further validated by his recent win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. This latter point should have been the focus all along by golf media, and now that he’s won a tournament using whatever the hell he wants to call his method, we need to collectively admit we were wrong.
We all know what comes next: questions as to how long he’ll be able to sustain his approach. We’ve conditioned ourselves to look for reasons why someone will fail as opposed to succeed. Yet, when someone does succeed, our tendency is to crown them as the “greatest ever.” Over time, the inevitable decline in performance occurs, causing us to question our initial praise and walk back our comments as fast as we can. Heaven forbid if we fall victim to the “Gotcha Police” on social; a group I’ve tried to avoid many times before, and failed.
Bryson doesn’t help his cause when he berates a cameraman for doing his job, then doubles down on a livestream video by erroneously suggesting he’s fine with the man doing his job. No, Bryson, you weren’t. You can’t be upset with it one moment and perfectly fine the next. Why someone isn’t telling him these things and preventing Bryson from talking is beyond me. Then again, how do you prevent anyone from doing anything these days?
Thinking about this stuff is enough to throw your mind into a thought rollercoaster. There’s no right or wrong answer here, just as long as people remain consistent in their criticism or their praise. When a shift in opinion is necessary — and yes, that is something people are allowed to do! — it’s best for us to own it and be the bigger person. We can be wrong, even publicly, and in doing so open ourselves up to being called out. That’s the agreement we all make whether we realize it or not.
If anything, Bryson is an example of where golf has gone in the professional realm. He’s a purposeful outlier, a man who is smart enough to exploit the fragile constraints within his profession by exposing where the dam needs holes plugged. Nothing he is doing is violating the rules of the game, but rather testing our ability to accept something that falls beyond the norm. Everyone likes predictability during unpredictable times, and Bryson clearly couldn’t care less.
I have no doubt that at some point something will fail in this grand experiment. To the best of my knowledge Bryson is not impervious to injury or whatever horrors excessive consumption of protein shakes do to the gastrointestinal system. Who knows; maybe golf’s governing bodies step in at some point to take another look at equipment standards, if there is such a thing.
Until that happens — and something will happen — the biggest output from Bryson’s experiment will not be how many trophies he accumulates, but rather how many detractors he proves wrong.
REVIEW: Cobra Golf KING F7 One Length Irons
The new Cobra Golf KING F7 one length irons might seem like a gimmick to some, but how do they actually perform? Read our review here.
The new Cobra Golf KING F7 One Length irons may seem like a gimmick to traditional golfers. After testing a set, however, I can safely say these clubs will help a small subset of amateur players looking for a quick fix in their game. When Cobra signed Bryson DeChambeau to an equipment sponsorship deal earlier in 2016, his concept of irons all the same length came along with him. The KING F7 irons -- while also available in standard lengths -- are the first venture into this "one swing across all your clubs" mentality by a major golf equipment manufacturer.
Who doesn't use the same swing for all their clubs, though? This is a question I feel shouldn't even exist.
Watch the video below for my review of these interesting new clubs. While the turf conditions were not ideal -- and my personal ball launch monitor ran out of juice midway through -- the Cobra Golf KING F7 One Length irons performed about as good as they could for my swing.
For more information on these irons, click on this link: http://www.cobragolf.com/f7-irons
Golf Unfiltered Podcast 68: Don't be hatin' on Bryson DeChambeau
On this week's episode we discuss why people hate Bryson DeChambeau, toils at the driving range, and horrible Spring Break pictures.
I'm riding solo again this week on the Golf Unfiltered Podcast, but luckily there is plenty to talk about in the golf space (plus there's plenty of beer in my fridge). Today's episode starts off with me ranting about my golf game toils and tribulations after playing one of the worst rounds of golf I've played in a long time. I then share my thoughts on Bryson DeChambeau and why he's such a polarizing figure. I even manage to work in my thoughts on the Spring Break Escapades of Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Smylie Kaufman.
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