Bryson DeChambeau, the full package, is not like any other golfer.
He told reporters at Bedminster, N.J., that his round last Saturday was just a warmup for the record-setting 58 on Sunday during his LIV Golf Greenbrier tournament victory.
“I shot 61 (on Saturday), and I was like, ‘That was cake, that didn’t feel like it was that difficult,'” DeChambeau said Wednesday. “I feel like I can do the same thing the next day.”
As he prepares for this week’s LIV Golf event at Trump National Bedminster, DeChambeau celebrated his 58, though he wasn’t able to fully explain it.
“Well, I don’t even understand it still, first off. … Obviously you’ve got to make putts and bad breaks can happen and whatnot, but a perfect scenario, if I really didn’t get unlucky, and I hit every shot the way I wanted to for two days.
“Literally a perfect storm. That’s obviously why nobody has done it. You have to have a perfect storm to have it happen.”
A newfound comfort level with his equipment, including a new driver, has paid major dividends.
Asked whether the state of the art clubs are “a little bit too forgiving in a way,” DeChambeau’s teammate Anirban Lahiri chimed in.
“We could be here for a half hour now,” said Lahiri, who then yielded to DeChambeau.
“Well, for five years I didn’t have the right equipment, so that shows you how important equipment is,” DeChambeau said. “I think we’re in a place now in time where (equipment) contracts aren’t necessarily as important as the purse you’re playing for. …
“I really think the best equipment is going to start showing itself over the course of time because of that.”
And that equipment has led to a marked improvement in his mental approach.
“Oh, a thousand percent, not even a question,” he said. “I feel like I’m just a brute. I just, boom, right down the fairway, wedge it on the green, right down the fairway, wedge it on the green. It’s just more of a determined, focused mentality that I have with this new equipment.”
After his 58, DeChambeau saved some “special stuff” for himself.
“Yes, golf ball, and then I’ve got my score that I wrote down on the other scorecard,” he said. “You know, you write your own score on the other competitor’s scorecard, so I have that little tab. Those two things. I’m going to be framing that.”
DeChambeau touched on other topics on Wednesday, including his chance at being selected for the Ryder Cup.
“Look, I played in a couple Ryder Cups, and I would love to represent my country,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. I feel like I’m in a good place to be able to do that.
“I feel like I’m a top 10 player for sure right now with the game that I’m playing, and if I do get picked, fantastic. If I don’t, I’ll still be watching on TV and rooting for Team USA because I respect and appreciate those players that are on the team representing our country more than a PGA Tour or LIV thing.”
As for the LIV Golf future, Lahiri said: “I think everybody just needs to pump their brakes. Whatever happens happens. We are here playing LIV, enjoying it entirely, loving the team aspect, obviously making history, breaking new ground and creating a brand new golf product which is gaining momentum, and I’m enjoying being a part of this and looking forward to doing this for many, many seasons.
“Whether PGA Tour fits into that plan, I don’t know. But this is Plan A. All of us have moved here with this being our primary place of practicing our profession. When and if and what happens, nobody really knows, but I think most of us are really happy here.
Said DeChambeau: “Those are wise words from Ban, and I can’t speak any more on that.”
–Field Level Media