CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA | Bryson DeChambeau has never been afraid to challenge convention, whether in how he plays golf, the equipment he uses or the way he presents his sizable personality to the world at large.
Beyond being the reigning U.S. Open champion, DeChambeau is an evangelist of sorts, a barrier-breaking believer in what the game can do and he has more than 5 million social media followers to validate his unconventional path.
It’s that part of DeChambeau that brought a standing-room-only crowd to a south Charlotte breakfast Tuesday morning to hear what he had to say at an appearance that came with a simple condition.
DeChambeau, who reportedly waived his standard speaking fee, asked that 50 participants in the First Tee of Greater Charlotte program be allowed to attend and, when it came time for questions, it was theirs he would answer.
Nearly 100 First Tee participants applied for the breakfast invitations, doing volunteer service hours, getting letters of recommendation and writing essays about which of the First Tee’s nine core values they use most.
From there, it was Bryson being Bryson.
“My message this morning to the kids, it was a great breakfast, it was just getting one percent better each and every day and being passionate about what you do. Make sure you’re incredibly passionate about whatever it is,” DeChambeau said.
“It doesn’t have to be golf, it doesn’t have to be sports, it could be business, it could be art, it could be whatever, a musical instrument, but be passionate about it, take great care in it and do your absolute best every day and learn every day. That’s a big deal.”
There is a playfulness that appeals to many, especially younger fans who have gravitated to DeChambeau’s style, and it’s why about 300 of Charlotte’s movers and shakers crowded into the Hood Hargett breakfast Tuesday morning to share the morning with the First Tee kids.
As the PGA Championship approaches at Quail Hollow Club, DeChambeau is among the central characters in a pre-tournament storyline rich with narrative threads. While Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler get top billing and deservedly so, DeChambeau recently won a LIV Golf event in Korea, his first win since his thunderous victory at the U.S. Open less than 100 miles away from here in Pinehurst last June.
The U.S. Open victory catapulted DeChambeau’s popularity to new levels, overcoming whatever goodwill he lost when he joined LIV Golf in 2022. Though not everyone fully buys into DeChambeau’s populist appeal, he has transformed his image via his YouTube channel and his determination to present himself on his own terms.
There is a playfulness that appeals to many, especially younger fans who have gravitated to DeChambeau’s style, and it’s why about 300 of Charlotte’s movers and shakers crowded into the Hood Hargett breakfast Tuesday morning to share the morning with the First Tee kids.
Having predetermined a 9:30 a.m. departure to accommodate the rest of his Tuesday plans, DeChambeau wound up staying until nearly 10 a.m. to sign autographs and pose for a photo with each of the First Tee participants.
“I want to do more than just the game of golf. I want to grow outside of the game of golf. I want to bring other golfers that have never seen the game of golf into golf,” DeChambeau said.
“YouTube has been a great platform to do that. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to have partners at YouTube and Google now, and I’m super excited to see what the future holds because there’s a lot more room to grow.”
For the moment, DeChambeau’s attention is solely on being ready when the PGA Championship begins Thursday morning on what is sure to be a soggy golf course.
At the Masters, DeChambeau briefly had the lead early in the final round but his concerns about shaky ball-striking proved prophetic as he shot 75 on Sunday while Rory McIlroy won his first green jacket.
He’s finished T2 and won in his last two LIV starts but he has still been hurt by the random foul ball off the tee, something that could be costly at Quail Hollow with its tree-lined fairways and deep tangle of wet rough.
“I feel like I’ve always had the capacity to play well in major championships and contend consistently. A lot of things have to go right in majors for you to play well.” – Bryson DeChambeau
A year ago, DeChambeau pushed Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship at Valhalla, ultimately falling one stroke short. Barely one month later, he chased down McIlroy over the closing holes to win his second U.S. Open.
“I feel like I’ve always had the capacity to play well in major championships and contend consistently. A lot of things have to go right in majors for you to play well. Your whole game has to be on,” DeChambeau said.
“So I felt like at Valhalla, that was the second time that I played well in a major, and it kind of gave me that confidence that I could just keep moving forward with that at every major and keep hammering down on majors.”