Opinion & Analysis
The strengths and weaknesses of Bryson DeChambeau’s game
Bryson DeChambeau made waves last season in the golf world after he won the NCAA individual championship and the U.S. Amateur. Between his swing mechanics, unique golf clubs and knowledge of physics, he’s became one of the most interesting players on Tour. He turned professional after the Masters, and here is how he as performed on the PGA Tour so far this year.
- Arnold Palmer Invitational: T27
- The Masters: T21
- RBC Heritage: T4
- Valero Texas Open: MC
- Wells Fargo Championship: MC
- AT&T Byron Nelson: MC
- Dean & Deluca Invitational: MC
- The Memorial: T38
- U.S. Open: T15
This has raised some eyebrows from readers who have asked for a more in-depth look at DeChambeau’s game, as he was in contention at the Masters at one point, played very well at Harbour Town before missing four cuts in a row, and started to regain his form back in the U.S. Open.
While DeChambeau missed four cuts in a row and has only recorded one top-10 finish, his scoring metrics have been sound thus far. Furthermore, he has done well on the Par-4’s which has the strongest correlation to Total Adjusted Scoring Average.
Driving Data
The rankings are based out of 202 golfers. So, DeChambeau ranking 100th means he’s at about the average in terms of effectiveness off the tee. He certainly generates a good amount of club speed, but he also appears to hit his driver with a bit of a downward attack angle in competition, which saps some of his power away.
I was a bit surprised by his Tee Shot Aggressiveness, which estimates how often a player is laying up off the tee. He was ultra-aggressive off the tee at Harbour Town and had great success there. But since, it appears he’s become very conservative off the tee and that may be giving him issues. He also has a fairly pronounced rightward miss bias.
Approach Shot Data
The approach shot data gives us a better idea as to why DeChambeau has had some struggles. The interesting part is he’s one of the best on Tour from the Yellow Zone (125-175 yards), but the worst on Tour from the Red Zone (175-225 yards). This will typically translate to a lot of birdies, but also a lot of bogeys. When players get into the Yellow Zone, those that hit the ball closer to the hole on average are set up to make more birdies because they are hitting those approach shots into a makeable range. From the Red Zone, the players who hit it more closely save themselves from making bogeys and double bogeys.
What I find more interesting is that Augusta National and Oakmont are very Red Zone-centric courses, and he performed well there. His best finish was at Harbour Town, which is more of a Yellow Zone-centric course. My interpretation is that there is little reason to press the panic button. While the Red Zone is the most important range
for approach shots, DeChambeau’s poor performance is likely due to the learning curve of transitioning from collegiate and amateur golf to the PGA Tour. He’s excellent from 150-175 yards, and I believe that in short time he will greatly improve his Red Zone play.
Short Game and Putting Data
Putting has also been an issue for DeChambeau. He has putted well from 15-25 feet, but putts from 5-15 feet have a stronger correlation to Adjusted Scoring Average. Much like approach shot play, these are the growing pains for a young professional. His Short Game data indicates he’s fairly competent around the greens and that his putting is likely holding him back from saving more pars.
In the end, DeChambeau has shown flashes of becoming the next top young professional on Tour. There has been a noticeable learning curve, but his Yellow Zone play and putting from 15-25 feet will lead to a ton of birdies on the Par-4’s. The performance at Oakmont is promising, since it is a course that stresses shots from 175-250 yards. One more thing to note; he has played the 4th toughest schedule on Tour at this point in time. The general idea is that once he starts playing in events with weaker fields, he should be able to have even stronger finishes.
- LIKE191
- LEGIT24
- WOW7
- LOL4
- IDHT0
- FLOP4
- OB4
- SHANK17
Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
- LIKE16
- LEGIT5
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT2
- FLOP2
- OB1
- SHANK1
Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
- LIKE30
- LEGIT5
- WOW2
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK2
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Paulina Gretzky opens up on receiving death threats following DJ’s move to LIV Golf
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
-
19th Hole1 week agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole1 week agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole5 days agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole4 days agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole3 days agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoAddiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
Snoopy
Jul 11, 2016 at 12:28 am
Rich, (or anyone), I’ve always wondered this about Bryson… if his swing gets off, will he play around his miss or is he 100% committed to his swing chart and his swing plane? As in, if he misses one right, will he make the same swing and aim left, or will he try to correct?
MAC
Jun 26, 2016 at 3:11 pm
IF I DIDNT KNOW BETTER I WOULD THINK YOU ARE ON THE SPECTRUM. LAST GUY I KNEW LIKE THAT WAS MOE BUY YOU COULDN’T HOLD HIS JOCK.
Millennial
Jun 26, 2016 at 6:38 am
About as funny as a syphilis.
Large chris
Jun 25, 2016 at 3:29 pm
Very interesting analysis as always…. The surprising thing is (and I do think he has a lot of game) is that his red zone play is so poor (ranked last), when you consider from previous articles that:
A) 175 to 225 is the most significant indicator of success
B) single length clubs are mainly supposed to improve the long iron game, yet this is his weakest point.
Happy Troll
Jun 25, 2016 at 12:01 am
Yet you are down here reading and commenting. Seriously go read ESPN. Golf WRX is fine and my favorite website because of ease of commenting.
Lee Layfield
Jun 24, 2016 at 11:23 pm
I love to watch him play. He’s going to be one of the greats.
Delusional
Jun 25, 2016 at 1:27 am
Lol no he won’t
Steve
Jun 24, 2016 at 10:17 pm
I hate Facebook.
Bob Pegram
Jun 24, 2016 at 2:31 pm
His very high hand position at address probably contributes to his tendency to miss to the right.
Bob Pegram
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:18 pm
I disagree.
Bob Pegram
Jun 26, 2016 at 6:33 am
Pretty sure I was talking about Schitzus Smizbags.
Agreed
Jun 24, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Totally agree. Make it happen GolfWRX.
Shallowface
Jun 24, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Yeah, let’s link it to Facebook whose existence is the reason we need Snopes.
All of you millennials are really going to be sorry when Freedom of Speech disappears altogether.
Tin Foil Hat
Jun 24, 2016 at 6:01 pm
Yep. So many conspiracies. So little time.
Not a millennial
Jun 24, 2016 at 6:02 pm
What a ridiculous assumption to make.
Assumptions
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:17 pm
Why would you assume that they are millennials? Suggest that it is not just your face that is shallow.
Shallow Assumption
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Very shallow of you to assume that they are millennials.
Millennial
Jun 26, 2016 at 6:35 am
Facebook can eat a kransky
Andrew
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:21 am
Maybe time BC to consider a blended set. 3-5 same length, 6-8 same length and 9 through to wedges same length. This will hopefully cover his short comings with the longer distance.
Steve
Jun 23, 2016 at 5:09 pm
Excellent article.
At what sample size is this data reliable enough to predict future performance?
Joe
Jun 23, 2016 at 6:42 pm
In no way does it predict future performance, but it does show current performance. Like I, and others, have pointed out he is in the learning curve. Also, he is under tremendous pressure to prove himself in order to gain entrance as a full time PGA Tour Player.
He sought to enter the tour like Tiger did, win enough money or a tournament for automatic qualification. He is not Tiger. He needs seasoning on the mini tour.
His problem is not his clubs, it is lack of experience and playing against a deep pool of talented Pro’s.
He may have been the best in college and as an amateur, but this is a different stage. Everyone (!) on the tour are good, and all were successful as amateurs.
There have been many who failed who were touted as the Next Great. No verdict yet on whether he will turn it around, go to the mini and up his game, become an average player, or rise to the top.
Tc
Jun 23, 2016 at 4:53 pm
Poor guy. Getting analyzed this way just because he has them clubs.
Shallowface
Jun 23, 2016 at 6:09 pm
When a club or method is touted as being something that is going to revolutionize the way golf is played, it deserves this kind of scrutiny. Something truly revolutionary would be producing great results NOW, not after some sort of “learning curve.” I think Bryson is a quality individual and I hope he is successful, but I won’t be surprised if there are some changes along the way.
Joe
Jun 23, 2016 at 10:46 pm
This has nothing to do with the clubs.
Shallowface
Jun 24, 2016 at 3:54 pm
If has everything to do with the clubs. If not for the clubs, Bryson wouldn’t be drawing anywhere near the interest he is getting.
Joe
Jun 24, 2016 at 10:07 pm
You seem to forget that he was the NCAA and U.S. Champion. I believe this has only been done twice before. He would get interest regardless of what he plays.
The article is about how he is doing competitively, not so good. There is no comparison between his clubs and what others are using. His stats have little to nothing to do with what he plays, but how he is playing. At this time his game (not his clubs) are what is in question.
Single length irons are not new, they were used extensively in bygone era’s. I neither believe they are superior or inferior to the accepted current irons in use. They will not fit into everyones game, but I would think the ability to set up the same for every club would help the non-initiated golfer quite a bit. One-swing, one-setup.
John
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:29 am
Poor TC. At least your mom loves you
Joe
Jun 23, 2016 at 4:09 pm
There is a learning curve. I think several years on the mini tour will help him. I do wonder about his resolve, this is an arrogant person with a lot of pride. Having to go to the Mini will affect him, the question is Negative vs Positive.
Kuch came in heralded and disappeared for awhile, Bubba also spent some time in Time Out also.
Emmizzle
Jun 23, 2016 at 2:37 pm
lol
mr b
Jun 23, 2016 at 1:44 pm
he hits the ball so low.
mr b
Jun 23, 2016 at 3:48 pm
such a bully on the internet. so tough.
mr b
Jun 23, 2016 at 3:50 pm
you def win the award for golf internet forum tough guy of the year. congrats!
Kevin McKevKev
Jun 23, 2016 at 11:46 pm
At least he still plays Smizzo. The last time I saw you you were in the clubhouse smashing beers and talking about how you could have won the club championship if it wasn’t for a very unlucky 17 on the first.
Flavour Saver
Jun 23, 2016 at 11:52 pm
I remember that. He had an absolute brain fade and hit 5 shots out of bounds and then after a 4 putt he stripped of and kept yelling “I am the Smizzle. This can’t happen to the Smizzle”. From there things got really weird as he started coating himself in yogurt and then rolled around in the bunker for 4 hours before finally snapping all his clubs and throwing them in the lake. He still comes to the club everyday and is propped up at the bar telling anyone who will listen about how close he went to winning the club championships.
First Person
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:05 am
Did he really refer to himself in the Third Person? What a weirdo.
M Smoghurt
Jun 24, 2016 at 6:06 pm
People started to get suspicious when you were carrying a second golf bag.
larrybud
Jun 23, 2016 at 1:08 pm
Iron data is the most telling, to me, and is a result of his single-length club setup. How easy can it be to control a finesse shot like 80 yards when you’re using clubs the length of a 6 iron?
Rich Hunt
Jun 23, 2016 at 9:34 pm
One should remember that the sample size is small. Furthermore, he switched from Edel to Cobra irons and I think there is a learning curve with that as well. I would not give up on them just yet.
es
Jun 23, 2016 at 9:22 am
what is his status on the tour? did he use up all his exemptions for the year yet? he hasn’t qualified from his own merit yet correct?
mctrees02
Jun 23, 2016 at 11:28 am
So far, DeChambeau has earned the equivalent of 212 FedEx Cup points. He needs to earn 361 points before his 7 sponsors exemptions run out.
Any event in which he finishes in the Top 10 automatically gets him into next week’s tournament and does not count against his 7 exemptions. As of today, he has the Quicken Loans (received invite as US Amateur champ) + 3 sponsors exemptions left to earn an additional 149 points.
(below from a Golfchannel article)
DeChambeau needs 361 points – the equivalent of 150th on last year’s FedEx Cup points list – to earn special temporary status on Tour, which would allow him to receive an unlimited number of sponsor exemptions for the rest of the season.
If he reaches that threshold, he is playing for points or money equal to or greater than 125th in this year’s standings to earn exempt status for next season. That number is still a moving target, but for the sake of comparison, last year’s No. 125 had 458 points or $747,899 in earnings.
At the very least, DeChambeau needs to earn enough points to finish inside the top 200 to reach the Web.com Tour Finals at the end of the year. That guarantees at least some status on the developmental circuit next year, with an opportunity, if he plays well, to earn a PGA Tour card.
es
Jun 23, 2016 at 12:12 pm
wow mctrees02, thank you for the detailed information.
Looks like he really helped his cause by qualifying and playing well in the US Open. pressure is on to do well in those last 3 exemptions. if he makes it to 361 points i think he’ll make it to no.125
Emmizzle
Jun 23, 2016 at 2:40 pm
thanks
Rich Hunt
Jun 23, 2016 at 9:08 am
That tends to be a bit of a learning curve as well. From my experience working with Tour players is that they tend to hit them too hard when they start out. Bryson is very speed conscious and works with Vector Putting (although he was taught AimPoint, first). But his putting from 15-25 feet usually indicates a firm putter of the ball and that may be a bit too firm on short ones.
Forsbrand
Jun 23, 2016 at 8:54 am
When he scores well he’s wragged with his putter.
He used totally different clubs to others and has faith in them, which is great, but I’m yet to see a major difference in his length or scoring with his clubs , ie knocking it closer than those average guys with standard equipment.
If he wins two majors then I’ll change my mind
M.
Jun 23, 2016 at 10:36 am
Short irons are too long and long irons are too short?!
Concerned Troll
Jun 24, 2016 at 9:36 am
If you’re waiting for a definitive answer regarding whether or not single-length irons are “better” or “worse” than standard length irons, you’re not going to get one. They work for him because he likes them and has hit thousands of balls with them. Even if he were “knocking it closer” than the guys with standard equipment, that still doesn’t tell you jack about which set is better. It’s the indian not the arrow.