Buttermaker
Well-known member
I would argue the US Open and its typical high rough is a worse fit for DeChambeau than the Open and perhaps the Masters. He's become a good putter. His play around the greens may be an area needing improvement.
Bryson isn't a flash in the pan, obviously, but I'm taking the under on 2.5 majors. Unless he changes his game, I don't think he ever sniffs winning the Open or Masters, so that leaves him with two major tournaments that are more "winnable" for his game. And even in the U.S. Open or PGA he needs the right course to smash it around on. With his pool of winnable majors being so limited I think he gets one more, but 3 is too big of a stretch for me.
My hot take on Bryson is that he's simply going down the wrong rabbit hole. The prevailing assumption seems to be that winning one US Open means his pursuit of length is working. This dude was one stroke away from a top 20 the first time he played the Masters as an amateur. Tiger's first he was 41st and the next time missed the cut. I think his pursuit of length, at the expense of other gaps in his game, have hurt him. To me his ceiling was higher than one major to this point. People forget at that US Open that while he hit it far, it was really his ridiculous putting and chipping week compare to his averages that leapfrogged him.
Let's say that the rabbit hole he went down was mixing single length irons with shorter wedges, combined with his meticulous course prep, and really dialing in his distance control. How long would that help his game? How long can he keep downing protein shakes and training with Long Drive pros during a PGA Tour schedule and stay healthy doing it? Remember when Phil piped it by him at the PGA?
To me, the relative advantage he's getting, at the expense of his clearly lacking in distance control, bunker play, and overall wedge game, is simply nowhere close to being worth the effort. And it's temporary. Everyone said Tiger could swing like that without getting hurt - everyone was right. But Tiger had an immaculate short game and won an Open hitting nothing but irons. Bryson's going to injure his back or his knee or his shoulder, and his decline will be far worse.
If this year has shown anything it's that Bryson is insecure, that his insecurity affects his play, and in turn drives him to do things like competing in the World Long Drive for no reason other than to say he's the best or most innovative or most "something" because that is where he gets his confidence from. Bryson would rather be talked about as a genius innovator than beat guys on tour, and that's the difference between him and a guy like Tiger. That's why when he melts down in a final round you hear excuses, deferring to luck, that he loved how he played while losing, etc.
Bryson will probably hit a major venue or Masters setup where his length pays off and his putting is hot enough to win another one in the next couple of years. But I'd guess that's his window is 3 years before the long drive thing blows up. The sooner it happens the better off he'll be in the long run.
He will be the favorite at the Old Course next year.
I don't see Bryson coping well with the quirks of the Old Course. Particularly the bunkers which are basically unavoidable when you try to hit it deep there. There's a reason why it's the only major where he doesn't have a top 25 and he's missed the cut for half his appearances. Slow greens, unplayable lies, bad bounces, weird OB areas - it's everything he hates. Maybe if there's no wind and he finds the Tiger magic of missing every bunker...
I'm basing that mainly on the fact that if weather isn't the main factor he can completely overpower the course. There is no course in the rota that favors length more than TOC. Any other Open course and I think he loses his mind.
I think the advantage lies entirely in statistics based on course setups. It's a calculated risk, but I absolutely agree that he will injure himself.
And I also agree he didn't need to make this change. He was the best amateur in the world and had a dream finish to his amateur career. He won early as a pro. The big hole in his game was the same then as it is now...he wasn't an elite wedge player, and I think it's pretty easy to blame equipment.
Agreed. His wedge play is still the weakest part of his game. I understand his desire to try and find an advantage over the field and there's courses where it's worked. However, I also don't think his body holds up long term.
As far as winning majors, maybe he eventually wins this masters but he's struggled there. He's finished 21, 38, 29, 34, and 46 yet he claims par for him at August is 67
Wow. Hell of a shot for anyone much less a tiny 12 year old. Good for him. Kid got to play with his dad and finish runner up in a tournament.