Bryson DeChambeau is hijacking the U.S. Open with a three-shot lead through 54 holes and is clearly the most beloved player among the gallery at Pinehurst No. 2. I feel vindicated about a take I had from the PGA Championship, where I talked about how the runner-up Bryson was the bigger big-picture winner that week at Valhalla than actual champion Xander Schauffele.
For anyone who bore witness to Saturday’s third round, it was Bryson’s show. The LIV Golf superstar is unfortunately not teeing it up in any tournaments that matter these days outside of majors, so it’d be nice if the PGA Tour and LIV could hammer out whatever accord necessary to bring everyone together again.
…Because almost even more so than how great Bryson is on the course in terms of dominating for stretches and interacting with impassioned patrons, he’s just a flat-out weirdo. Before it wasn’t likable. Now that us golf stans who don’t watch LIV see far less of him, and he’s matured some, it’s endearing and borderline entrancing.
See what I mean by this answer Bryson gave at his post-round presser. He makes a joke about appreciating a “salty balls” question before monologuing about why he and his manager do, in fact, soak balls in Epsom salt. Transcription below the video. Zoom in and deal with it.
insane sport pic.twitter.com/QsVVIUNa6m
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 16, 2024
The attention to detail, the giving zero f***ks about what anyone else thinks of him, and the absent fear of doing things in a most unconventional manner make Bryson a true one-of-one in the game of golf. He’s also been a standout, consistent performer among the LIV defectors of late.
Look, those LIV guys made a choice, took unfathomable sums of money, and they’re living their life and not thinking twice about it. You can’t tell me that Dustin Johnson grinds as hard as he used to. Getting that much money, playing far fewer tournaments — with 54 holes rather than 72 — and having no cut line to worry about has to take away some of your competitive fire. Unless, you know, you’re a joking-when-I-say-this-next-term psychopath like Bryson DeChambeau.
This man’s brain fires in such an extraordinary and different way than anyone else in the sport. Anyone else in human history, perhaps. His laughably long drives, 3D-printed/all same-length clubs, and yes, Epsom salt baths for his golf balls…the rabbit hole that is his endless dissection of golf knows no bounds.
How does he carry all the attention he brings upon himself, overcomes any potential competitive lapse from LIV, gear up to contend in the biggest events, and still have time to do things like these during a major championship?
Bryson just walked over to a kid wearing the Hogan hat he used to wear and signed his flag during the middle of his third round at the U.S. Open right after teeing off on No. 3. Pretty awesome.
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 15, 2024
"Don't boo me, I'm sorry." – @b_dechambeau clubbing down off the 13th tee 😂
📺: NBC & @peacock | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/VEUh6yDyNx
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 15, 2024
I have no idea. But I’m loving it.
Just came across this little subplot for U.S. Open Sunday, which obviously falls on Father’s Day. As if I needed another reason to pull for Bryson and his salty balls…
Bryson DeChambeau’s dad passed away in 2022.
He just did an interview on the Golf Channel and said that he’ll be thinking about him “on every hole” tomorrow as he tries to win the U.S. Open on Father's Day.
It feels like many of the 50,000+ fans will be behind him, too.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 16, 2024
