It’s been 2 years since Bryson DeChambeau joined LIV Golf, and PGA Tour pros must be over it, right? No, wrong. And we’re here to tell you exactly why. You see, just when DeChambeau thought his game was taking shape for the better, it took a brutal hit, and Tour pros are not shying away from taking a jab at the LIV golfer for that. “I remember you’ve got to drive it well. So far, I’ve been driving it well this season. Hopefully it continues,” Bryson DeChambeau said recently, and we think the golfer has jinxed his own form. DeChambeau’s gameplay relies heavily on precise driving and strategic planning, which makes Quail Hollow’s bomber-friendly layout a potentially good fit. Add a little emphasis on ‘potentially’, if we might.
He knows that great irons and a full set of clubs are crucial for confidently attacking flags. Still, his recent comments about driving well might be premature, given his mixed results in majors aside from his U.S. Open success. “I reflect on it a couple days after, take away what I need to improve, whether it be my iron play or a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” he said, and the ‘little bit of that’ is indeed affecting his game in the PGA Championship.
After Round 1 at Quail Hollow, which saw DeChambeau land outside the top 70 at T71, golf analysts and PGA Tour pros are taking a jab at his driving s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s. “Bryson’s distance control is shocking for a guy who works so hard on the range and has all the numbers dialed in. Legitimately perplexing,” wrote PGA coach Jon Sherman. PGA Tour golfer Michael Kim took it one step further and took a subtle jab at the LIV Golfer by writing, “Give him time til tomorrow. He’s not used to playing on Thursday”, hinting at LIV Golf’s infamous three-day playing format.
But that is not the first time this week that a PGA Tour pro has taken a jab at DeChambeau. The tension stems from the Masters, where DeChambeau had noted that Rory McIlroy “didn’t talk to me once all day” during their final round pairing. McIlroy responded, “I don’t know what he was expecting. I’m not going to try to be his best mate out there,” explaining that he was focused solely on his own game.
McIlroy added, “Everyone approaches the game different ways… I felt that’s what I needed to do to try to get the best out of myself that day.” But it’s not just the McIlroy comments that suggest DeChambeau is flying under the radar with his peers – Brandel Chamblee, a PGA Tour Champions star, is chiming in with some candid observations that don’t exactly paint DeChambeau as the most beloved player on the Tour.
Brandel Chamblee believes there’s ‘palpable dislike’ between Bryson DeChambeau and PGA Tour pros
It seems Bryson DeChambeau has a whole lot of work to do to make a little space for himself on the Tour again. Bryson DeChambeau’s comments about Rory McIlroy’s silence during their Masters pairing have drawn attention to their differing approaches. Brandel Chamblee, a PGA Tour Champions star, believes that DeChambeau’s mercurial image isn’t resonating with his peers, particularly given his association with LIV Golf and the tour’s history with the PGA Tour. Chamblee noted that there’s a palpable dislike between DeChambeau and some of his peers, saying, “There is, I’m not going to say animosity, but there’s palpable dislike.”
Chamblee’s assessment highlights the perception gap between DeChambeau’s self-image and how others see him. “Rory is sincere and congenial and graceful and athletic,” Chamblee said, contrasting McIlroy’s approach with DeChambeau’s. “And Bryson is, he’s kind of mercurial… He’s high, he’s got a lot of Phil Mickelson in him. And the players, I’m just saying they don’t necessarily buy that.” Chamblee added that LIV Golf’s lawsuit against the PGA Tour has further strained relationships, noting, “LIV and the players on LIV sought to destroy the PGA Tour. They would love if the PGA Tour was destroyed and folded – they would love it.”
Well, what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you share Chamblee’s sentiments? Let us know in the comment section below!
