Because so much about Bryson DeChambeau runs counter to convention, it should have been no surprise that he showed up at the PGA Championship last week and went largely unnoticed while missing the cut.
Subtlety and hiding in plain sight are not his style and it’s not great for a content creator who moonlights as a LIV Golf competitor but DeChambeau has a tendency to zig where others zag.
Pre-tournament interview?
DeChambeau took a pass.
Post-round interviews after shooting 76-71?
Nothing to say other than telling a few media members he appreciates the work they do as he marched toward whatever is next, which is a LIV event in South Korea a week from now.
Long commute.
In fairness, how many times can someone say he doesn’t know what the future holds but he trusts the new LIV leadership to bring in tens of millions of dollars in support just months after one of the world’s most successful wealth funds decided the league was a poor investment?
For someone who has positioned himself as golf’s ultimate free agent when his nine-figure contract expires at the end of this season, DeChambeau seems adrift.
If you’ve forgotten, DeChambeau chopped up the 18th hole on Friday at the Masters, making a triple-bogey 7 (one of two he made at Augusta National in April) when a member-quality double at the last would have allowed him to slip into the weekend. Even his meltdowns are head-turning.
There are times when DeChambeau might do himself a favor by staying quiet and this may have been one of those times.
DeChambeau is 0-for-2 making the cut in majors this year, a worrisome trend for someone who has openly considered building his career around his hugely popular YouTube channel, jumping off four times a year to play the major championships, at least as long as he remains eligible for them.
If you’ve forgotten, DeChambeau chopped up the 18th hole on Friday at the Masters, making a triple-bogey 7 (one of two he made at Augusta National in April) when a member-quality double at the last would have allowed him to slip into the weekend. Even his meltdowns are head-turning.
It’s not a popular opinion but winning LIV events has value beyond the millions in prize money. Winning in Singapore and South Africa as DeChambeau has done this spring isn’t the same as winning the Genesis Invitational or the Players Championship but the fact the Official World Golf Ranking now recognizes those performances matters.
Every player has off weeks but DeChambeau’s failure to launch at Augusta National and Aronimink has been decidedly off brand. That’s three missed cuts in the last four majors after a win and two runner-up finishes in his previous five.
Big game. Big personality. Big misses.
It’s coming up on two years since DeChambeau won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, hitting a shot for the ages while breaking thousands of hearts by taking down Rory McIlroy in the process.
That moment, arms in the air screaming to the heavens then sharing the trophy with seemingly anyone who wanted a piece of it, is the apex of DeChambeau’s unique career to this point. Winning the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot demonstrated the value of his immense power while winning at Pinehurst validated his talent and his unique personality.
It’s possible that’s as good as it will get for DeChambeau but, as talent evaluators in various sports like to say, he still has a tremendous upside.
One line of thinking suggests that DeChambeau is distracted by his uncertain future. That undercuts the notion that he has a soft landing in social media golf to fall back on should he not rejoin LIV and/or the cost of rejoining the PGA Tour, which he sued and has often criticized, is steeper than he believes it should be.
Jon Rahm didn’t seem so distracted at Aronimink last week. Then again, his LIV contract extends beyond this year and he’s made peace with the DP World Tour, putting him in a different mental space at the moment.
Rahm looked last week as if a weight had been lifted off him. DeChambeau seemed to be carrying that weight.
[DeChambeau] has proven to be a great salesman with approximately 2.7 million subscribers to his YouTube channel but being creative sells better when you are contending in major championships.
As Brian Rolapp and the PGA Tour look to reshape their future, star power is essential. It’s what fuels media packages and fan engagement, the metrics that drive the business of professional golf.
That’s where DeChambeau can be a valuable commodity. He has proven to be a great salesman with approximately 2.7 million subscribers to his YouTube channel but being creative sells better when you are contending in major championships.
When a top-five player noticed DeChambeau’s recent suggestion that the PGA Tour should welcome him back because of the value he would bring, that player said, “Why do only 50,000 people watch him on LIV telecasts if he’s so important?”
That’s a low-end ratings number but the point is well taken.
It’s easy to second guess what DeChambeau does. His insistence on playing single-length irons seems to work against him the closer he gets to the green and he has always relied more on physicality than finesse.
DeChambeau has always relied on his self-belief. He may need that now more than ever.