At a Crossroads, Is Bryson DeChambeau Going In the Right Direction?

The healing DeChambeau is chasing LIV Golf's money, and Michael Rosenberg writes that his chase for greatness may never be the same.

Bryson DeChambeau will be around for the weekend at the U.S. Open. And then he's off to an unknown future with LIV Golf :: John David Mercer/USA Today

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Bryson DeChambeau surveyed his options, clenched his teeth, and said as quietly as he could muster, “God … dammit.” Minutes earlier, he had stood in the fairway of The Country Club’s 15th hole, iron in hand after a typically monstrous drive, doing what he seems to think he should always do: Take the guesswork out of the game. Then the game got him. He pushed his approach right, missing in the wrong place for no reason other than golfers do that. A chunky flop, a chip, and putt later, he made bogey. He is 2 over par for the U.S. Open, in limbo between contention and uncertainty — this week, and maybe at this stage of his career.

Of all the players who signed up for Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf, DeChambeau has the most on the line. The list is mostly has-beens (Phil Mickelson turned 52 this week), sort-of-weres (golf fans know Kevin Na and Branden Grace but nobody else does) and never-will-bes (Chase Koepka is 28 and has never earned a PGA Tour card). But DeChambeau is 28, he won the U.S. Open by six strokes just 20 months ago, and at times he has looked like the best player in the world.

It is easy to imagine DeChambeau dominating another major like he dominated that Open at Winged Foot, then hopping on NetJets back to the Saudis’ tour — popping a hole in the PGA Tour’s contention that it is home to the best players.

It is also surprisingly easy to imagine golf fans a decade from now asking “What if?” questions about DeChambeau. He has won once since September 2020. He underwent wrist surgery in April. By jumping to LIV, he is infusing a lot of uncertainty into his career, and while that is hard for anybody, it is especially risky for DeChambeau.

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He has always tried to control an uncontrollable sport. He struggles at the Masters and British Open because there are so many variables and shots he can’t possibly anticipate, and he can’t calculate his way out of them. He can also be stubborn to the point of being obtuse, and sometimes he is so preoccupied with reinventing the sport that he seems to forget his job is to play it.

Hitting it longer than anybody else helps golfers win majors; entering (and training for) long-drive contests does not. Whether DeChambeau’s obsession with speed and distance caused his wrist injury is a matter of speculation. But if his wrist becomes a nagging problem, then what? Is DeChambeau willing to commit to a different style of play? Is he even capable of it?

Athletes are most interesting when their physical skills have started to decline but they make up for it with wisdom and experience. We have seen it in recent years from Tiger Woods and Mickelson. We might never see it from DeChambeau. His brain just doesn’t seem to be wired that way.

The line between stardom and solid is thinner in golf than just about any other sport. In 1989, Curtis Strange won the U.S. Open for the second straight year. He was 34. He never won another PGA Tour event. One of DeChambeau’s playing partners here, Gary Woodland, won the 2019 Open and hasn’t won anything since. The other, Justin Rose, could have won four majors by now but is stuck on one.

The decision to sell out for Saudi money is immoral no matter who does it, but it will not affect everybody the same way. Dustin Johnson is 37, he has won two majors already, he has ensured his spot in the Hall of Fame, and he is famously unbothered by pretty much anything. See the ball, hit the ball, go fishing on your week off – that’s DJ. Asked about the reception from fans here this week, Johnson said, “I haven’t noticed any difference.” I haven’t noticed any difference, either. But Johnson probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference anyway.

DeChambeau notices everything. It’s a fascinating quality for a golfer but not necessarily a good one. How will he handle the blowback from signing up with the Saudis? Can a famously obsessive loner really be the best version of himself competing in 54-hole events with a team component?

He has always been socially oblivious, prone to clunky statements and temper tantrums that make it hard to empathize with him. At times, he has recognized this about himself. The hope was that he would mature and refine some of the social skills that eluded him when he was off in his golf lab all those years, but he is in danger of drifting so far into Brysonland that most people can’t reach him.

Despite winning this event just two years ago, he didn’t do a pre-tournament press conference. (The 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 champions all did.) DeChambeau blew off the media again Friday, despite playing a solid round that could give him a chance to climb into contention Saturday. The media will survive. But DeChambeau has spent a lifetime trying to create optimal conditions for his own success, and he put that quest at risk by going for the money. It will be fascinating to see how DeChambeau handles being a LIV golfer — and the answer will help determine the future of golf.

More U.S. Open Coverage From Morning Read:

> Scottie Scheffler, World No. 1 and Under the Radar, Is Contending
> What to Watch in Round 3: Big Shots, Big Names (Or Not) and a Full Day
> Phil Mickelson Shoots 73 Friday, Ending a Chaotic Couple Weeks
> Who Is This Guy? Nick Hardy’s Career Progression Has Been Slow, But He’s In Contention at Brookline
> Little-Known Guys Are Taking a Starring Role In This U.S. Open
> U.S. Open Day 2: Live Scores, Updates
> Rory McIlroy Is One Shot Back With the Mindset That It Feels Like the First Time
> Sergio Garcia Leads Large LIV Contingent Missing the Cut at U.S. Open

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