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DeChambeau drops side-saddle putting, slams USGA

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Bryson DeChambeau says he’s done with side-saddle putting. After missing the cut by four shots at the Honda Classic, the 23-year-old told Golf Digest he’s dropping the method he used for just over two months because “the USGA doesn’t like me doing it.”

“I’m pretty much done with it,” DeChambeau told Golf Digest. “They’re not a good organization, and you can quote me on that. I’m part of their family and as family it’s very frustrating to see them stunt the growth of the game.”

The USGA maintains that its problem with DeChambeau’s side-saddle putting was not his method but his equipment. The USGA ruled one of his putters non-conforming prior to the start of last month’s CareerBuilder Challenge, forcing a last-second switch.

Related: See photos of the conforming side-saddle putter DeChambeau was using. 

DeChambeau had high hopes for his game in 2017 using the side-saddle stroke, but he has had a disappointing year so far. The former U.S. Amateur and NCAA champion has missed the cut in four of his last five events on the PGA Tour, including a WD due to a hand injury at last week’s Genesis Open.

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29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. Matt

    Jun 27, 2018 at 2:16 pm

    Just kick him off the tour already. All he does is push rules around.

    • Tiger Noods

      Sep 19, 2018 at 7:23 pm

      Some of these comments did not age well

  2. Fat Perez

    Mar 1, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    Maybe the pin heads running the NCAA can assist?

  3. Jim

    Feb 27, 2017 at 4:37 pm

    He’ll never master this game with physics alone. Maybe on a flat mat in a lab with a simulator but not in the real world.
    his arrogant dismissal of “feel” is a major problem. The game won’t let anyone get by without it. It’s what made Tiger so great – now he’s lost that and become a mechanical monster. Once golf stops being fun, the spark dies and it wins..

    it’s the only sport you can never beat…Roll a 300 bowling, and that’s it -there ain’t no 301….shoot par – ok – bet you there’s a lip-out and missed shot or two in there…ya can’t shoot an ’18’…

    He ‘disrespected’ golf thinkin’ he’d outsmart it & golf won’t have it!

  4. JJVas

    Feb 27, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    I wish he would reconsider and stick with this. I’d love to see the USGA have to come up with yet another farce of a rule based on zero statistics, common sense, or logic in the name of “growing the game”. Too bad.

  5. John

    Feb 27, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    I agree with the majority of posts here, the USGA is a JOKE. Putting is all about confidence and if that’s what he was comfortable with you go with it. You would think that someone would have pointed out any issue with the putter he chose long ago. As far as I know, the rules are the same as long putters: maximum of 80 degrees lie angle on the shaft, round grips, and no anchor point. Most face on putters are no more that 3.5″ wide you can stand the putter up to 90 degrees to get a true pendulum motion without toe interference, but that’s not a rule, it’s a preference. You cannot straddle the ball or even putt with one foot behind the ball in line with the hole. As long as both feet are to either side of the ball, you’re good to go. I’d like to see more of this on tour but it looks like the USGA does not. That’s the joke. Maybe they don’t want to be bothered to closely monitor the Side Saddle or the guys still using long putters without anchoring. Are they doubting the integrity of the players on this?

  6. Miuralovechild

    Feb 27, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    This guy can do all the math, perfect all the algorithms, explain the nature of the quantum theory, and yet he can’t figure out the 6 inches in between his ears. He’s a left-brainer that should be working at a Tech company in Northern California. He’s a raw talentless watered down Phil Mickelson that is wasting his time tinkering with frivolous ideas. Unless he fixes the vacuous hole in his head and starts working on things that really matter, ie his short game and metal toughness he’s not gonna make it. Get your **** together Bryson or you’ll be playing on the Web.com tour or even worse you’ll be an employee at Web.com.

  7. Dave R

    Feb 27, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    Would agree with most ? The USGA is out of touch with the real world and is going in the wrong direction with this issue. And as for Bryson forget about all the science crap and just go out and swing, on the green putt it. If your good enough to be there then you should be there if your not quit do yourself a favour. You’ll have less stress in your life and you could become a rock or space hound. Just saying !!!!!!!!!!

  8. Barry

    Feb 26, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    I’m no Deschambeau fan, but I have to take his side on this one. The USGA is a terrible organization and they have ruined golf! I’d side with anyone except Hillary Clinton or Adolph Hitler over the USGA!!

  9. Forsbrand

    Feb 26, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Any Casey Mayin had an unfair advantage riding his cart.

    To be fair even if some guys were allowed 16 clubs in their bag they’d still be no better off. To ouch red tape and rules. Enjoy the game, play golf!

  10. Patricknorm

    Feb 26, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    He had a stellar amateur career and seemed last season to be trending towards a fine pro career. The single length shafts were certainly an anomaly and he made it work until, it didn’t . His over ripe, analytical mind seems to have caused a major roadblock . Clearly he wanted to improve his putting at the expense of experimentation. I disagree that the USGA is culpable. In fact, with the available metrics avaikable for the putter, it’s straightforward.
    I get that he’s desperate to improve. It’s no fun missing cuts. And at 23 he has time. But his agent, mentor, teacher, etc. need to take him aside and tell him the honest truth. He’s become his own worst enemy. Until he accepts that’s he’s wrecking a promising career in golf by tinkering needlessly, he’ll be the next Bud Cauley. Bryson your looking pathetic bud.

  11. Brian

    Feb 26, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    Dude is wearing out his goodwill in a hurry.

  12. GP

    Feb 26, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    this guy is a scam. too much attention put on him without reason. he has maybe different way to see the game but there is lot of golfer outside the spotlight that grow the game more than him. Look at the development of golf in Asia, Latam,… this is improvement. Side putting is nothing of growth to our sport.

  13. Michael

    Feb 26, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    Next week he will be standing on his head while putting because there’s some “science” behind it that he wants us to think only he understands and everybody else is stopping the “growth of the game”. So far he has not done a single thing that hasn’t been done before. Appearing psychotic over the need to brand himself is not the way to start his professional career.

  14. Tom

    Feb 26, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    Joe, I’ll take that cap over the flat bill look ….

  15. Matt

    Feb 26, 2017 at 10:18 am

    His approach might annoy some of us but he’s not wrong about the USGA. Just look back at the past few US Open weeks. Each has had their fair share of awfully dumb decisions by the USGA. Their an old org with nothing more than their own egos to think about.

  16. TR1PTIK

    Feb 26, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Never been a fan of Bryson and he’s not doing much of anything to change my mind. Sounds like he’s searching just like the rest of us and trying to blame his woeful play on someone else.

  17. Johnnylongballz

    Feb 26, 2017 at 8:19 am

    Thank you USGA! I was really tired of watching him putt like that.

  18. Samuel

    Feb 26, 2017 at 5:05 am

    How many years must we endure another golfer being praised for his talent that never shows up when it counts? We have had more then 20 Years of how good John Daly is and we did get to see that twice in that time…Bryson has a chance to go 20 or more years without even that.

  19. freowho

    Feb 26, 2017 at 4:46 am

    Celebrity apprentice next year.

  20. Blake

    Feb 25, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    Why is this guy so unlikeable

  21. S Hitter

    Feb 25, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    What a cry baby. Cobra should drop this ungrateful idiot

    • Uhit

      Feb 26, 2017 at 6:17 am

      If someone has a different approach, he has to be an idiot – no?
      We recently escaped out of caves (once again), to go back again…

      • S Hitter

        Feb 26, 2017 at 10:21 am

        No, not that. They told him the method is ok by the rules, so he can carry on putting side-saddle if he wants. But his putter was ruled illegal, because the shaft was in the wrong place for it to have the correct angle.
        But for him to go around crying like this and name calling the USGA – he has no class.

        • brian

          Feb 27, 2017 at 11:19 am

          Can you explain in more detail the problem with the construction/form of his putter?

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