“Each year I learn a little bit more”, Bryson DeChambeau said, reflecting on his experiences at Augusta. This humble admission marks a significant departure from his earlier bravado, when he confidently declared the Masters course a par 67 for him. Time has tempered his tone, and DeChambeau now acknowledges the intricacies of the game, humbly stating that the toughest hole at Augusta is, in fact, “all of them.” Given his extensive experience on top-tier courses, you’d think DeChambeau would have it all figured out – but it seems even the best golfers are always learning.
In his latest YouTube video, DeChambeau traded in his usual tournament turf for a public golf course, and boy, did things get real. The course turned out to be a masterclass in unpredictability, with wind whipping balls into submission and greens that seemed to have a mind of their own. “This is going to be really, really tight… it’s tough, man,” DeChambeau said, his usual confidence slightly shaken by the course’s no-nonsense layout. As he lined up his shots, he carefully considered his club choices: “Let’s go 9 iron and 8 iron, it’s helping a little bit.” When a shot finally paid off, DeChambeau exclaimed, “Yes, please!”
Well, the reason for DeChambeau’s success on the public course was ironically the same one his game derailed at Augusta this year – his struggles with adapting to the course conditions, particularly with his iron play. At the Masters, DeChambeau’s issues with hitting the heel of his clubs led to wayward shots, which he attributed to not being “fully optimized.” As he explained, “For some reason I’m just not fully optimized. I get over it and I feel like I’m going to hit the heel and I try to pull across it and it just goes left on me. If I just had somewhat of good iron play this week, it would have been a lot different outcome.” This lack of precision ultimately led to a 3-over-75 on Sunday, relegating him to a tie for fifth.
But even after having a better iron play than he did during the first major of the season, DeChambeau found himself unexpectedly stressed out on a public course, admitting, “Why is this stressing me out more than the Masters?” As he navigated the course’s twists and turns, DeChambeau’s reactions ranged from amusement to frustration, showcasing the rollercoaster ride that is golf on a public course.
PGA, Golf Herren PGA Championship – Final Round May 21, 2023 Rochester, New York, USA Bryson DeChambeau reacts after a putt on the ninth green during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. Rochester Oak Hill Country Club New York USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAaronxDosterx 20230521_jcd_db4_0366| Credits: Imago
But does that mean Augusta was any easier on the LIV Golfer? No, not at all. The 95-year-old course had DeChambeau sweating to the point, a golf analyst bluntly said that the golfer is not ‘fit’ for it.
Brandel Chamblee’s Masters prediction was eerily correct
Brandel Chamblee remained skeptical about Bryson DeChambeau’s prospects at the Masters, despite DeChambeau’s impressive opening-round 65 and career-best T-6 finish the previous year. Chamblee believed the course was still not a great fit for DeChambeau, citing the high number of mistakes he made compared to past winners. According to Chamblee, “If you go back 25 years, the winners, there’s 1,800 holes they would have played en route to winning the Masters. Collectively, they’ve made six double bogeys in 1,800 holes. That’s .003 percent of the time they’ve made mistakes. He makes almost two and a half on average every time he plays the Masters… There are some places there you just can’t miss it big.”
Chamblee attributed DeChambeau’s struggles to his swing style, specifically his in-to-out move, which wasn’t suited for the hanging lies at Augusta. He also expressed concern about DeChambeau’s scrambling stats on LIV that season. While DeChambeau was capable of playing great golf under the right conditions, Chamblee said, “He’s capable of playing some great golf there under the right conditions, but generally speaking, no, he’s too linear, and that golf course is too abstract.” And well, Chamblee was right, as the LIV golfer faced a lot of problems and eventually landed at T5. But what do you think? Is DeChambeau’s gameplay really not cut out for Augusta yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
The post ‘Stressing Me Out’: Bryson DeChambeau More Rattled Than He Was at Masters in New Golf Challenge appeared first on EssentiallySports.
