Bryson DeChambeau stayed close for most of the day at the PGA Championship, but holed out for eagle on the par-5 18th, bringing him within striking distance of his second major victory.
DeChambeau hit amazing chips It fell into the hole and the crowd went wild. It was one of the loudest moments on the course all day.
Needless to say, his fist-pumping celebration was memorable.
“It’s exhilarating. I haven’t felt like this in a long time,” DeChambeau said.
“The only other time I felt that way was when I shot 58 at the Greenbrier. That was pretty exciting. I was pretty excited.”
DeChambeau shot a total of 4-under 67 on the day of travel, vaulting him up the leaderboard and into contention. DeChambeau, Shane Lowry and Viktor Hovland, who shot a bogey-free 66, are tied at 13 under.
The LIV Golf captain could become the second consecutive player from the Saudi-backed circuit to win the PGA Championship, after Brooks Koepka won at Oak Hill last year.
DeChambeau has a lot of momentum and likes his position on the leaderboard.
Through 54 holes, he hit 40 of the required 54 greens. Needless to say, the old SMU Mustang has him gaining 11.9 strokes on the field and ranks him fourth in total strokes gained.
He averaged 3.6 shots around the green, ranking seventh among remaining players.
“I had to keep strategizing around this golf course and putting the golf ball in the right areas, but I missed the ball in the right places and hit a lot of greens here,” he said.
“It’s iron play. Iron play was the key this week, not at full strength but good up and down. Yeah, I made a few clutch shots when I needed to.”
DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open even though many thought he would never become a major champion. The 30-year-old has never been one of the fan favorites on the PGA Tour.
However, since moving to LIV Golf, I have changed as a golfer. His personality blossomed through his YouTube channel and other social media platforms. DeChambeau understands what golf needs to do to grow.
“I’ve been trying really hard to give people some insight into who I am, and YouTube is a great platform to help me do that,” DeChambeau said.
“I love doing this. It’s so much fun. It refreshes your brain and keeps you in entertainment mode, and you realize what the game is all about. It’s not about playing for yourself, it’s about winning money and trophies. It’s not about winning, it’s about entertainment. We all want to win trophies, but we all want to entertain the fans and I think that’s the most important thing.”
That shot on No. 18 showed his personality, and the fans around the green gave him a thunderous applause.
He’s not some big guy who left the PGA Tour. If anything, DeChambeau seems to have learned a lot and taken his personal brand to the next level.
He is currently within two strokes of leaders Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
Will Sunday be the day DeChambeau wins his second career major? perhaps.
Whatever happens, he will start the final round alongside Hovland at 2:15 p.m. ET.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
