A clip of Bryson Aldrich DeChambeau on the range, with Vijay Singh postponing his own practice routine to watch as the so-called Scientist, in mad-as-a-hatter mode, unleashed quick-fire drives – his caddie Tim Tucker barely managing to keep up in supplying balls – went viral on all the usual social media platforms.
DeChambeau is prime clickbait, robotically and routinely smashing drives out of sight. Yet actions speak louder than words and few can dispute that his modus operandi has delivered results – one Major, a US Open on the career CV – and with the Masters next up on his hit list in making BAD an acronym for another golfing great.
There may have been a few chuckles and shakes of the heads last November when DeChambeau claimed that the Augusta National layout amounted to nothing more than a par 67 for him, although his lowly tied-34th finish provided some belief that the course had the last laugh.
But DeChambeau departed believing that there was something wrong physically and was subsequently given some medical evidence. “It took about four or five months to figure out what it was. We went through CT scans, X-rays, cardioids measurement. We had ultrasound on my heart. We had measurement of the blood vessels on my neck . . . sinus, CT scan measurements, infection checks. We couldn’t find anything, there was literally nothing.”
Until. Some months later, in ongoing consultation with NeuroPeak Pro, a check on his oxygen levels provided an answer. “And immediately from after changing the way I was breathing, the way I was feeling that day from breathing, it took it out. It literally just went away,” said DeChambeau, who then provided a most unscientific, normal person kind of add-on: “Ever since then, I’ve been okay. So knock-on-wood!”
DeChambeau has been drawn in a group with Adam Scott and Max Homa for the opening two rounds for this latest tilt at the Masters (his best finish is actually a tied-21st place in 2016 when he was low amateur), although much has changed with his game – and profile – since that time.
Of how his analytical mind might provide an advantage, DeChambeau responded: “I certainly believe that to be the case. I think there is a place where I do put an expectation value that, yeah, I think I have a good chance to play well here. The Players [at Sawgrass] is a golf course that I don’t think I should play as great on, given what I have off the tee and how it limits me.
“There are certain holes out here where length does help tremendously. And so as you look at it from a statistical point of view, there is a lot of advantages to be had with length for me. But, again, you go up around those putting greens, and you just try to hit it into those areas of the green where the pins are, and it becomes very diabolical.
“Length is only as good as you can hit your next shot, is what I always say. And that’s the most important thing about Augusta National, is it doesn’t test just the driving. It tests your second shots, it tests the third shot, it tests your four-footer you’re trying to make for par.
“I think that’s what’s so special about here is that you have to have every facet of your game working really, really well.”
