AUGUSTA, Ga. — You may love Bryson DeChambeau, or you may hate him.
If you don’t, you may be falling into a trap that gives you a bit of a misunderstanding about who he is and what he wants to be.
Because for all his quirks, DeChambeau has his heart in the right place and has good intentions.
But sometimes, with no one to advise him, his lack of self-awareness can lead him to go his own way, making him one of the most polarizing figures in the sport, for better or for worse.
DeChambeau didn’t let anything get in his way in the first round of the Masters on Thursday at Augusta National in stormy weather, posting a 7-under 65 to lead the tournament by one stroke over Scotty Scheffler.
After that, the 30-year-old Californian, who now plays on the LIV Golf Tour, sounded more mature and self-aware than the DeChambeau I had heard before.
“Trying to be a robot is something I’ve always tried to do, but it’s not something that’s possible in this ever-changing game,” DeChambeau said.
DeChambeau has been criticized for his mechanical, mad-scientist view of the game. He is notable for using all his irons at the same length. He has been ridiculed for his bulk in the 2019-20 season, as he was intent on bulking up to dominate the course.
But DeChambeau credits himself with realizing that bulking up wasn’t a good idea, nor sustainable for health or competition, so he cut the weight and gained it back.
“This has been a very enjoyable journey for me, to say the least, but it has also taken a toll on me in many situations,” DeChambeau said. “I learned a lot from that.”
What’s strange about DeChambeau’s start is that he has strangely struggled at the Masters in his career.
Since finishing tied for 21st as a low amateur in 2016, DeChambeau has yet to finish better as a professional. He missed the tournament the past two years by finishing tied for 38th, tied for 29th, tied for 34th and tied for 46th.
“Why have I been struggling? I don’t know. Only God knows that,” DeChambeau said. “I’m 30 years old now…it definitely took me a while to settle into a situation where I was okay with whatever happened today. Taking that perspective definitely made me a little more enlightened and a little more free. Now I can play.”
DeChambeau looked free from the start Thursday, birdieing his first three holes. He finished the round with birdies on five of the final seven holes.
“That was a clinic,” Gary Woodland, one of DeChambeau’s playing partners for the first two rounds, said after shooting a 4-over 76.
In 2020, when DeChambeau was on stage for The Incredible Hulk, DeChambeau told reporters that Augusta National was a par-67 for him because of its length and four par 5s that could be reached in two. He said it was something like that.
This comment was not well received as it made him look down on the game and Augusta and seemed arrogant. At the Masters, he tied for 34th place, 18 strokes behind champion Dustin Johnson.
“For me, the level of respect for this golf course is a little different than it was a few years ago,” DeChambeau said. “As for comment 67, I messed up. I’m not a perfect person. We all mess up. You learn from your mistakes, and they were definitely mistakes.”
DeChambeau’s game has evolved to match his maturity, and he’s “winning with winged feet” [the 2020 U.S. Open] It helped me understand how to win big tournaments. ”
He said he has dealt with criticism about the way he views things “all my life.”
“I grew up always being different, so I quickly learned that not everyone is going to agree with you or like what you do,” he said. “My mother always told me to respect others and treat others as she would like to be treated. She tries to do that as much as possible.”
DeChambeau often seemed like the guy who had it all figured out, which turned people off. He seems to understand it more now and feels more at peace with it.
“A lot has happened in my life over the last few years,” said DeChambeau, whose father John passed away in 2022. You can’t understand everything and you can’t always be right. Respect that, respect Father Time, understand that… and enjoy the ride. Smell the roses. ”
