Let’s face it: Not everyone is a fan of Bryson DeChambeau. Or, at the very least, the 27-year old’s ‘revolutionary’ tactics and focus on his physique divide opinion. Regardless, whatever it is that DeChambea is trying to say about the game of golf is worth hearing; the results he has achieved in a short space of time make that the case. But is the big-hitting player truly changing the game? Or is he just an outlier who will continue to play his own game while the rest of golf moves at its own pace? Looking back at 2020, the year that DeChambeau broke out (at least in the eyes of the media), those questions are still not easy to answer.
The first thing that we should clearly stress is that the story of Bryson DeChambeau is a bit more complex than is sometimes portrayed in the media. Sure, the Californian did emerge in the late spring bulked up (he gained about 40lbs) and with enough power to hit the ball further than anyone has managed before. But it is not as if he came from obscurity. DeChambeau was pinpointed for stardom as a young amateur and throughout his college years. In 2015 became only the third player in history to win the NCAA Division 1 Championship and US Amateur Open in the same year. The other two men to complete that feat? Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
Continue reading “Reflecting On Bryson DeChambeau’s 2020: Has He Really Changed Golf?”
So, you purchased the latest high street brand golf bag, perfectly matching your brand new $800 irons. Of course you did, after all, you wouldn’t want your clubs getting all damaged in some pencil bag. You purchased the latest driver from whomever, only setting you back another $400 or so, maybe more or you got it with a custom tour shaft that is suited perfectly to Tiger Woods, or your favorite golfer, but probably not you. It even came with a magnetic head cover, “state of the art” they say, and again, you don’t want your latest investment getting damaged do you? I bet you even have a nice travel bag for those two trips a year you make to keep your clubs from getting knocked about on the plane.
This week I was fortunate to do double-duty at the Wyndham Championship: working as a Headquarters Chairman as well as a part-time media guy (thanks to Erik at The Sand Trap and to Rob Goodman at the Wyndham). I hear a lot and see a lot that happens backstage at a PGA Tour event. It probably isn’t a stretch to say that keeping track of everything requires a tenuous dance of thousands of people around the ropes that enclose our friendly neighborhood touring professionals.