Bryson DeChambeau rediscovers his groove on the PGA Championship

PITTSFORD, NY — Bryson DeChambeau walked onto his last green in the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship on Thursday, and the humble gallery that awaited him remained silent. DeChambeau led the event and was on his way to an outstanding 18-hole score, his best at a U.S. major championship in three years. And yet the 200 or so silent fans by the green stared at him as if they were watching a museum exhibit.

This is where DeChambeau got into golf. Even at the end of a sparkling performance, the fans were curious, but nevertheless hesitant to reward him with too much affection.

Three years ago, he was celebrated and hailed as the game’s next revolutionary, someone who would inspire a new generation to swing as hard as possible with every shot. It was the road to his record victory at the 2020 US Open. He promoted an intense training regimen and a radical diet. His supporters were young and rough.

Then followed a long string of uninspiring results, a defection from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, and more ineffectual play that left him a relative afterthought. Once fourth in the world rankings, DeChambeau started Thursday in 214th place.

But the DeChambeau attacking Oak Hill Country Club’s demanding East Course on the first lap was completely different, at least for a day. He was still powerful off the tee, often beating his playing companions Jason Day and Keegan Bradley by 40 yards. He stepped onto his final green and led the tournament on a day when most players were slogging and swearing under their breaths.

Faced with a 15-yard birdie putt, DeChambeau hit his golf ball to within inches of the hole. The watching fans finally gave in and applauded politely.

An onlooker who appeared to be in his 50s – not the usual demographic for a Bryson die-hard – yelled, “Come on, Bryson!” Come on buddy!”

With a four-under-par 66, Bryson left the lot smiling and with a jump in his step that seemed more than a reflection of the roughly 35 pounds he’s shed from his once bulky body.

He stopped to sign a kid’s golf ball, punched a handful of fans and ran off to the scoring marquee and then long meetings with reporters and television interviewers.

All the while, DeChambeau was grinning, even as he said repeatedly, “It’s been a tough last four or five years.”

It’s a question mark for a golfer who has had a stellar win at the US Open since 2018, six wins on the PGA Tour and 31 top-10 finishes. In that stretch, he earned more than $23 million on the PGA Tour.

But DeChambeau would elaborate on his thoughts on what has happened since 2018.

To begin with, he had consumed about 5,000 calories a day and “eaten a lot of things that set your body on fire.” He now eats about 2,900 calories a day.

He also had a hand injury, which he says has healed.

“Obviously it wasn’t fun getting a hand injury and then learning how to play golf again with a new hand,” said DeChambeau.

There were dark days as his breakdown and ailments continued.

“Emotions definitely fluctuated pretty high and pretty low — thinking I’ve got something and it fails and goes back and forth,” he said. “It’s humble.”

He continued, “I’ll say there’s been times when it’s been like, man, I don’t know if this is all worth it.”

DeChambeau was notorious for hitting balls on practice courts at PGA Tour events well past dusk, batting away under lights that lit only him. He now seems ambivalent about working those long hours.

“You’ll see me over there at the shooting range,” he said. “That’s something I don’t want to do. I don’t want to be out all night.”

But DeChambeau feels like he’s discovered something now, or in his words Thursday, “Trending in the good direction.”

When asked if he was closer to the end of his journey to find or regain his swing, he replied, “The end of it, for sure. I just want to be stable right now. I’m tired of changing, of trying different things.”

But what about the predictions that he might be able to do 400-meter rides? DeChambeau shook his head.

“Yes, I could go a step further,” he said. ‘Can I try to get a little stronger? Certainly. But I’m not going all out. It was a fun experiment, but I definitely want to play good golf now.”

And, as he said, he’s still long enough.

One good round at Oak Hill doesn’t undo many months of ineffective play, but what next for DeChambeau?

“Golf is a strange animal,” he replied. “But I feel like I’m going in the right direction. Playing like I did today, of course, makes it easier to feel that way.”

DeChambeau was still smiling. Two and three years ago he smiled easily and often.

“Maybe it can all change tomorrow; it’s golf,” he said. “But I don’t think it will happen.”