The Empty Space Where the Big Golfer Used to Be

I miss Bryson DeChambeau.

I miss his ridiculous comments about physics and protecting his brand. I miss his meticulous attention to detail. Most of all, I miss his talent.

At his best, DeChambeau is incredibly difficult to beat. His dominant 2020 U.S. Open win and infamous tee shot on No. 6 at Bay Hill are still fresh in people’s minds, but it’s easy to forget other highlights of his career. In 2018, DeChambeau won three times in nine starts, including victories at the Memorial and back-to-back wins in FedEx Cup playoff events. He’s one of five players in the history of the sport to win the individual NCAA title and U.S. Amateur title in the same year. Before joining LIV and becoming a less relevant figure in the sport, Bryson was an exceptional golfer.

In my nostalgia, I finally got around to watching a Bryson DeChambeau interview that I expected to contain some gems. In October 2021, Bryson went on the Full Send Podcast, a popular YouTube show. In case you’re unfamiliar, Full Send is pretty cringy and immature, but this episode offers a rare glimpse into DeChambeau’s persona when he lets his guard down.

Full disclosure, my initial plan for this blog was just to aggregate Bryson’s funniest quotes from this podcast. It’s Peak Bryson. He’s corny and overdramatic throughout, like when he suggests that the United States, as a country, has been struggling for a long time, but the 2021 Ryder Cup restored gusto and unity to the nation. Mmmkay, Bryson.

But I realized that, instead of dunking on the guy, I’d rather go through a couple of things that this silly show taught me about one of the quirkiest, most talented golfers in the world.

Lesson 1: Bryson’s experience is the true experience

Recently I’ve been struggling to figure out how much my perspective aligns with the consensus. I was mostly bored with the Wells Fargo Championship this past week, but was that the reaction of most fans? In an increasingly online world, it can be difficult to know where your perspective might differ with the general population’s.

It’s abundantly clear that Bryson DeChambeau believes his worldview is the correct one and that anything different from his truth is a function of the media working against him.

At the 7:05 mark, one of the interviewers says, “You’re a slow player, you’re a f***ing slow player, right?”

DeChambeau: “No, that’s what they present me as.”

When something doesn’t compute in Bryson’s brain, he searches for an explanation. This has led to improvements in his game, like solving how his putter interacts with the dimples on the golf ball, but it has also caused him to see anyone who disagrees with him, like the USGA, as disingenuous. DeChambeau does not appear to reevaluate his priors frequently.

At the 46:20 mark, Bryson says, “I missed 14 cuts in a row my first year on tour. Nobody knows that.”

This might be the most revelatory moment from the entire interview. First off, Bryson has never missed 14 cuts in a row on the PGA Tour. He’s never even missed 10 cuts in a row. Secondly… “nobody knows that”? Huh? Even if the stat were true, which it is not, does he expect people to bring it up a decade later? Why does he feel like he has a grip on what the consensus is?

Bryson seems to believe that the life experiences within his bubble reflect an overall reality. At another point in the podcast, he casually mentions that he has made some of the clutchest putts in the history of the sport. I mean, I’m sure those putts felt that way to him.

But Tiger Woods would like a word.

Lesson 2: the importance of media rights

The Full Send interview makes it clear how much Bryson values his media rights. When players join the PGA Tour, they sign away those rights. The Tour maintains that bundling media rights is essential to its business model, and that without this structure, corporate and broadcast partners would disappear. For Bryson, though, the whole thing feels like an injustice.

I actually sympathize with his position. In the long term, the PGA Tour needs to change what’s becoming an archaic framework. It’s ludicrous for an organization to offer $50 million a year to the players who provide the most engagement online while DMCAing Kyle Porter, Monday Q Info, and many other social media users for sharing unauthorized PGA Tour media content.

At the 39:40 mark, Bryson explains, “We are independent contractors, but we kind of sign away our media rights…. I think there’s a lot of people who are starting to see what’s going on and asking questions…. I don’t want other players to have Stockholm Syndrome.” Reminder: this episode aired months before Bryson signed with LIV Golf.

His complaints are not new, but they’re valid. Forward-thinking sports organizations are quickly adapting to new media while the PGA Tour remains stuck in the past.

As online media businesses grow, content and distribution are increasingly being brought under the same roof. The best example of this concept might be Welcome to Wrexham, a documentary series on FX. Actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought a Welsh professional soccer team and filmed the ensuing seasons. Both the series and Wrexham FC have been successful on the field since the purchase.

Similarly, the Indianapolis Colts filmed and published behind-the-scenes footage of their NFL Draft process. As a Colts fan, I appreciated the opportunity to engage with my team in an authentic way.

A final example: new Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia appeared on the Bill Simmons Podcast and touched on his media strategy. He’s taking the Suns and the Mercury off cable television and onto free over-the-air TV and streaming services. This decision significantly expands the reach of his teams’ games. While Ishbia acknowledges that the decision may cost him money in the short term, he trusts that it will serve him well in the long run by building a larger, more enthusiastic fandom. The suits in Ponte Vedra follow a much different philosophy, Mat! (To be fair, they also avoid inserting themselves in the action and provoking the players, so they’ve got that going for them.)

Netflix’s Full Swing series is a step in the right direction for the PGA Tour, but more needs to be done to allow creators opportunities to build engaging content around the Tour’s product. I don’t blame DeChambeau for objecting to Ponte Vedra’s outdated mindset and contractual obligations.

♢

Bryson DeChambeau is a complicated character. He spouts a bunch of nonsense on a myriad of topics, and he has had some tough moments on screen. At the same time, he’s loaded with talent and generates more intrigue in the sport than 95% of PGA Tour players. He is also responsible for a handful of truly iconic moments.

I don’t expect DeChambeau to play meaningful golf anytime soon, but if rounds back into form, I’d welcome the sight of his name atop a leaderboard.