Bryson DeChambeau Stopped Some Idiot From Stealing A Ball He Threw To A Little Kid At The PGA Championship

Matt Fitzgerald·
CULTURESPORTS
·
Bryson DeChambeau
X/@asreynolds24

Xander Schauffele edged out Bryson DeChambeau to win the PGA Championship by one stroke with a birdie on the 72nd hole and set the all-time major scoring record at 21 under par. While it was cool to see Xander to break through for his maiden major win after 12 previous top-10s, I almost got the feeling that Bryson was the biggest big-picture winner of a wild week at Valhalla.

Why do I say that? Well, at least to me, Bryson was a complete and utter tool for a long time. He had this alienating, quirky personality, was more than a little up his own a**, and just flat-out not very likable. He then joined LIV Golf for nine figures or whatever ungodly amount of money they shelled out for him. Not exactly a move to help one’s popularity on paper.

Something’s happening with Bryson, though. Me and millions of other golf fans no longer get to see him play often, because we don’t care about LIV. Because those tournaments mean nothing, and won’t for the foreseeable future.

In addition to the valiant charge he made in Sunday’s final round, Bryson did something that summed up why I think the court of public opinion is turning in his favor. For all his weirdness, ego, and galaxy-brained scientific quotes to the press, somewhere in there is a kind soul.

That two-legged, zero-witted idiot who absconded with what should’ve been a life-changing moment for the young lad at least had the decency to come back when Bryson called him out. But like, imagine being on the back nine of a major championship Sunday. Bryson didn’t have to give the kid his ball, never mind halting his momentum, then going above and beyond to make sure the grown-but-not-grown-up man got away with a gift that wasn’t at all intended for him.

Say what you will about Bryson. I used to think he was the biggest phony. Now I think we’re past that point. He’s so authentically himself that it can’t be self-parody. It can’t be a bit. Bryson is Bryson and does not give a damn what anyone thinks about it. Not a bad guy. Just more than a tad odd.

If you’d told me when Bryson signed on to LIV in June 2022 that I’d be screaming at the TV, cheering for him down the home stretch of the PGA Championship, I’d have looked at you like you had six heads. Never in a million years would that happen. Except it did happen.

In one of the greatest shots I’ve ever seen, the dude murdered an 8-iron some 220 yards to within three feet of the pin.

The post-shot reaction even got me hyped. You love to see that type of passion. Then how about that closing birdie at the par-5 18th for a cool 7-under 64 on the day?

Wasn’t quite enough to catch Xander. Except now, the anticipation is only going to build for when Bryson tees it up at the next major. Thank goodness, the U.S. Open gets underway on June 13 at Pinehurst. Not a long wait at all. And perhaps it’s not a long wait for Bryson until he’s holding his second major trophy. He was leading The Masters for a time this year and entertaining the hell out of fans while doing so.

Nice touch of class to congratulate Xander in the end as well.

With the extra down time LIV Golf provides, Bryson has grown his own YouTube channel to over 600,000 subscribers. May need to get in on that to say I’m 100% on the Bryson Bandwagon. If only so I can say the phrase he allegedly hears from the gallery from time to time.

Were those the magic words that scored the little boy his special souvenir on Sunday? I’ll tell myself that because it makes the story that much better. Whatever the case, Bryson — thanks for the content. Appreciate what you do on the course!!

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