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Bryson DeChambeau apologizes for USGA criticism

Published

7 years ago

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Bryson DeChambeau is backing off his harsh words for the USGA following a severe indictment of the organization.

Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker caught DeChambeau after his second round at the Honda Classic. He told the scribe, “The USGA essentially doesn’t like me doing it [putting side-saddle]. I’m pretty much done with it.”

That remark was likely better received in Far Hills than what DeChambeau went on to say about the USGA.

“They’re not a good organization, and you can quote me on that. I’m part of their family [as a winner of the U.S. Amateur] and as family it’s very frustrating to see them stunt the growth of the game.”

Two days later (and probably to the surprise of very few) DeChambeau apologized via his social media channels, posting this Notepad missive.

bryson-dechambeau-usga-apology

While DeChambeau said late last year that the side-saddle stroke would be so effective it’d be “like cheating,” it never really panned out for the SMU alum. In his last five starts, he’s missed the cut four times and withdrawn once. He’s currently 194th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting (-.653).

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35 Comments

35 Comments

  1. JThunder

    Mar 1, 2017 at 2:57 am

    No one sees the hypocrisy in saying “DeChambeau should own what he says” while posting under aliases. Too funny. When media follows you around 24/7 just waiting for something they can hype and sensationalize, you can comment. Sure, these guys make a lot of money when they win, but being under that microscope all the time isn’t fun. He said something in the heat of a moment, then he apologized. I suppose none of you have done that?

    As for the USGA, their job isn’t easy either. On the one hand, you have pressure from the capitalist golf OEMs wanting to make a fortune peddling new tech. On the other you have Jack Nicklaus and co, traditionalists, course owners and architects, wanting to preserve the status quo, especially for distance, not to mention their own records and Bobby Jones’. Half the amateurs bitch the game is too hard, the other half (maybe less, but vocal) bitch about losing tradition. And like any governing body, the resulting compromises just yield more complaints.

    Hopefully we all scrutinize our own behavior and work the way we do that of others.

    Reply Report comment

  2. King of Carlsbad

    Feb 28, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    Why can’t he just putt like a normal human being? Is it that hard?

    Reply Report comment

  3. Tyson Rochambeau

    Feb 28, 2017 at 10:50 am

    This guy needs to be more worried about making a cut. Speaking of cuts, does anyone know if the cut on his hand healed from hitting too many balls? I’m sure he was in pain; what a horrible problem to have.

    Reply Report comment

    • SlapHappy

      Mar 1, 2017 at 1:43 am

      Yeah the cut was so bad he had to withdraw…… but it healed so quickly in two days he was able to show up to the next tournament and kiss everybody’s butts

      Reply Report comment

  4. StillBoard

    Feb 28, 2017 at 10:20 am

    Another undeserved apology

    Reply Report comment

  5. Fat Perez

    Feb 27, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    And I will never putt illegally like anchor broom handlers Bernie Langaaa and Scott McCarron!! Are you kiddn’ me!! You’re telling those clowns are not anchored to their chest plate?! Please, it’s so obvious from any angle. The creases in their shirts during the stroke are a dead giveaway. No way what they’re doing would be allowed on the PGA Tour! The Tour would have a camera on these guys from every imaginable angle you could think of. Enforcement, if at all, is totally selective.

    Reply Report comment

  6. Jack Nash

    Feb 27, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    Always kills me why some of these guys always have to,”clarify”, “walk back”, “reconsider” some of their statements. It’s like they’re not able to voice their opinion because they somehow feel they’re getting cut out of a Will. Bryson voiced an opinion. No matter what you think of it, it’s his opinion. Nobody got hurt, he made his case, so move on. Look how many years the governing bodies took to outlaw the anchored putter, when it should have been done years ago. Is there an advantage to side saddle? Maybe, but somehow I doubt it. You could say the new style of studying putts ala Adam Scott could actually testing your lie. Bryson mad an honest evaluation. No biggie to me.

    Reply Report comment

    • SlapHappy

      Feb 28, 2017 at 2:26 am

      Because he nor his agent don’t want to lose any future sponsors or sponsors exemptions, for being a hateful child.
      There may be an advantage to side-saddle, if you use the kind of putter that Dechambeau used, which is not conforming to the rules, due to the wrong placement of the shaft on the head, which rule had been set a long time ago, to make sure violations like this would not happen (and thus, how stupid does Dechambeau look, not considering that the rules had been examined from the science perspective long ago, especially considering he had claimed to be a scientist out to make the game easier and more fun to play), because it took some skill out of the stroke.

      Reply Report comment

  7. 3 metal stinger

    Feb 27, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    This kid has ensured that I will never purchase a Cobra/Puma product

    Reply Report comment

  8. Barry

    Feb 27, 2017 at 11:06 am

    Don’t apologize for criticizing the organization (USGA) that has ruined pro golf!

    Dave Fay, Mike Davis, Tom Otoole and company should be ashamed!

    Reply Report comment

    • Tom

      Feb 27, 2017 at 11:23 am

      I don’t find myself at odds with the USGA often but; lately they have drawn fire from the golf community at large. Bryson didn’t say anything that many of us haven’t said about [prior rulings from the USGA. i. e. putter length & driver C.O.R. I find it ironic he is being criticized for something many of us say.

      Reply Report comment

      • Fü

        Feb 27, 2017 at 11:43 am

        What the heck has the length of the putter got to do with anything. That was never an equipment rule in that instance, you just can’t anchor any longer. The COR rule has been changed this year, they now only measure drivers with CT. So what are you complaining about?

        Reply Report comment

        • Tom

          Feb 27, 2017 at 4:42 pm

          Fu , I’m goin off what has been discussed on this site about equipment and USGA regs. and how it applies to recreational golfers.

          Reply Report comment

          • SlapHappy

            Feb 28, 2017 at 2:35 am

            We’re not talking about recreational golfers. We are taking about Professionals and other qualified Amateurs who all want to and must play by the rules, without which there will be no competition. You want to just play slaphappy type game, you go ahead and do that, nobody is stopping you from cheating or being nice to each other amongst your peers for letting the rules go by. But this is a gentleman’s game, whereby the best of the world call penalties on themselves and also accept the rules thrown at them if called on. That’s just how this game is played, Gentlemen, and if you don’t want to be at the level, then by all means, go play by your rules, nobody is stopping you. All we want is that we ask you that you replace all divots, repair ball marks and rake the bunkers nicely because there may be proper players behind you that will be playing by the Rules.

            Reply Report comment

            • Tom

              Mar 1, 2017 at 12:09 am

              I don’t disagree with the ruling on the shaft of this design. My thought center on the USGA and the heavy handedness applied by the organization. At points in time it seems they are over bearing and in areas were perhaps diplomacy would prevail.

              Reply Report comment

  9. Steve S

    Feb 27, 2017 at 11:03 am

    Should have never made the retraction. It’s what you really feel, right? Then don’t apologize, own it and move on. Yeah, you’ll catch more heat but that’s what happens when you’re adult. You are not a kid, anymore.

    Reply Report comment

  10. CCTxGolf

    Feb 27, 2017 at 9:23 am

    I bet all of his sponsors are regretting making him one of their big spokespeople. The Microsoft commercial is obnoxious. Most of these commercials bill him as this great PGA superstar who has been successful with his odd approach to the game. He has not.

    Reply Report comment

  11. Patricknorm

    Feb 27, 2017 at 6:52 am

    When you blame the media for your own words, that to me is reckless. His disparagement of the USGA , an excuse he uses to justify his poor play , tells me that emotionally, he’s not ready for prime time. No one expects perfection from Bryson , just honesty and some one willing to take ownership of his words and actions. He apparently took a swipe at the media ( “I was stopped by the media at a bad time”) for his derogatory comments towards the USGA. Time for Bryson to man up and accept his weaknesses. This entitled millenial needs to mature , quickly.

    Reply Report comment

  12. Rich

    Feb 26, 2017 at 10:00 pm

    I believe he thought he was bigger than the game WRONG!

    Reply Report comment

  13. S Hitter

    Feb 26, 2017 at 8:36 pm

    Disingenuous focker

    Reply Report comment

  14. dg7936

    Feb 26, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    Too bad he retracted; the USGA is truly screwed up. They piss their time away on small issues but have let the equipment manufacturers destroy the integrity of the game. They are bullies, plain and simple.

    Reply Report comment

    • S Hitter

      Feb 27, 2017 at 3:08 am

      You don’t have to play golf if you don’t want to. We won’t miss you

      Reply Report comment

      • Jay

        Feb 27, 2017 at 3:31 pm

        I think you have it the other way around – golfers wont miss the USGA. What percent of golfers do you actually think play by all USGA rules – 1%, maybe 5%?? Seems the game could do just fine w/o them.

        Reply Report comment

        • Tom

          Feb 28, 2017 at 3:26 pm

          especially the past couple of opens…what a cluster!

          Reply Report comment

      • IHateLoveGolf

        Feb 28, 2017 at 10:20 pm

        Who’s the ‘we’? I don’t have a problem with what he said.

        Reply Report comment

    • Barry

      Feb 27, 2017 at 11:08 am

      Totally agree! They were too busy figuring out which model jet to lease

      Reply Report comment

    • Tom

      Mar 1, 2017 at 10:33 am

      The recent article on this site is good news. The USGA appears to be coming around.

      Reply Report comment

  15. belacyrf

    Feb 26, 2017 at 7:53 pm

    How much do you think Puma is regretting that investment ?

    Reply Report comment

  16. Tom

    Feb 26, 2017 at 5:42 pm

    good follow up Bryson

    Reply Report comment

  17. DeShampoo

    Feb 26, 2017 at 5:36 pm

    You said it. Own it, or don’t say it in the first place…

    Reply Report comment

  18. Matt

    Feb 26, 2017 at 5:09 pm

    He’s becoming a sideshow

    Reply Report comment

  19. DJ

    Feb 26, 2017 at 4:54 pm

    He’d probably be better if he was just a dummy.

    Reply Report comment

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Details on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship

Published

1 hour ago

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May 8, 2024

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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article. 

So, with a couple of weeks off following his latest start at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Thomas sought to re-address his driver setup with the remote help of Titleist Tour fitting expert J.J. Van Wezenbeeck. About two weeks ago, Thomas and Van Wezenbeeck reviewed his recent driver stats, and discussed via phone call some possible driver and shaft combinations for him to try.

After receiving Van Wezenbeeck’s personalized shipment of product options while at home, Thomas found significant performance improvements with Titleist’s TSR2 head, equipped with Thomas’ familiar Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft.

Compared to Thomas’ longtime TSR3 model, the TSR2 has a larger footprint and offers slightly higher spin and launch characteristics.

According to Van Wezenbeeck, Thomas has picked up about 2-3 mph of ball speed, to go along with 1.5 degrees higher launch and more predictable mishits.

“I’d say I’d been driving it fine, not driving it great, so I just wanted to, honestly, just test or try some stuff,” Thomas said on Tuesday in an interview with GolfWRX.com at Quail Hollow Club. “I had used that style of head a couple years ago (Thomas used a TSi2 driver around 2021); I know it’s supposed to have a little more spin. Obviously, yeah, I’d love to hit it further, but if I can get a little more spin and have my mishits be a little more consistent, I felt like obviously that’d be better for my driving…

“This (TSR2) has been great. I’ve really, really driven it well the week I’ve used it. Just hitting it more solid, I don’t know if it’s the look of it or what it is, but just a little bit more consistent with the spin numbers. Less knuckle-ball curves. It has been fast. Maybe just a little faster than what I was using. Maybe it could be something with the bigger head, maybe mentally it looks more forgiving.”

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article. 

 

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5 fall golf trip destinations you should book right now

Published

2 hours ago

on

May 8, 2024

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The 2024 golf season is in full swing with the warm weather settling in and those long summer days right around the corner, but what if we told you that you should be thinking about golf this fall? While it may seem to be a ways away, now is the perfect time to start putting together your end-of-season fall golf trip. 

Courses are in great shape, the weather is more enjoyable as temps cool off, and your golf game is in peak condition after playing all summer! The best part about fall golf trips is that there are some great deals to be found at golf destinations across the country! Additionally, you can get away to the Caribbean on an all-inclusive trip or travel across the pond for some links golf in the UK or Ireland before the end of their golf season in October. 

If you are happy to stay stateside this fall, here are the best golf destinations you should book for your fall trip.

Myrtle Beach, SC 

Commonly known as the “Golf Capital of the World”, this coastal destination is home to over 200 golf courses making it the ideal location for a golf trip! If you’re looking for golf and accommodation onsite, choose from a wide range of resorts including favorites like Barefoot and Legends. Alternatively, you could rent a house or stay by the beach and play top tracks like Caledonia, Grande Dunes, Pine Lakes, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach and many more! With a plethora of options, you will be able to customize your trip to stay within budget! Fall in South Carolina is a golfer’s paradise with minimal rain, sunny skies, and temperatures in the low 80s (dipping into the 70s in later fall with lower humidity), the perfect combination for a golf trip.

Scottsdale, AZ 

If you’ve never played golf in the desert, fall is the best time to do so and there is no better selection of desert layouts than Scottsdale. With a wide variety of golf resorts, courses, and attractions, it is easy to see why many professional golfers call this place home. Enjoy a golf and city trip with a stay close to the nightlife in Old Town and a tour of the local courses like Raven, McCormick Ranch, and Ocotillo. Head north of the city with a resort stay at The Westin Kierland or Hyatt Regency and play some Championship courses like TPC Scottsdale, Troon North, or Grayhawk. Or head out to the fabulous We-Ko-Pa Resort  and Golf Club and indulge in the ultimate desert golf experience. The weather in Scottsdale will be very warm (mid to high 80s), with cloudless skies and green grass contrasting the desert landscape.

Orlando, FL 

The golf mecca in the state of Florida, Orlando is a great golf destination any time of the year, but fall is really where it flourishes. Course conditions are impeccable, the weather is warm with fading humidity, and there are a multitude of off-course activities for the whole family. Stay & play at some of the best golf resorts like Reunion and Omni Championsgate or tick off a bucket list course when you visit Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill. A few other reasons this destination is so popular is the wide variety of rental houses throughout the area, perfect for a large group and the quality courses to choose from including Waldorf Astoria, Celebration, Shingle Creek, and the three Disney courses! With easy accessibility through the MCO Airport, Orlando is a no-brainer for a fall golf trip.

Las Vegas, NV 

PAIUTE GOLF RESORT – LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

A destination often overlooked when it comes to golf, Las Vegas in the fall is a wonderful treat! A stay on the iconic Las Vegas Strip gives you a wide range of 3 to 5-star hotel options within walking distance to the city’s biggest entertainment venues, casinos, restaurants, and more! For golf options, you will need to travel outside of the city (roughly 20 mins) to play some incredible desert layouts like Rio Secco, Revere, Cascata, and the trio of courses at Paiute Golf Resort. If you fancy a longer day trip, you can always take the hour-long drive up to Mesquite and play Wolf Creek and Conestoga for a pure desert golf experience. 

Alabama – Robert Trent Jones Trail 

If you’re a golf nerd (like me) and you’re looking for something a little different for your trip, look no further than the incredible RTJ Trail in Alabama. The Trail spans 11 different locations across the state with over 400 holes of golf all designed by legendary course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The more popular courses on the trail are in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Auburn, making it perfect for an extended trip. Some of the best courses on the trail include Ross Bridge, Grand National (2 courses) and Capitol Hill (3 courses).Weather-wise, fall is the best time to hit the trail with average temps hovering around 80s (dipping into the 70s as fall goes on) with a limited amount of rainfall. The summer months are usually where the pricing is the highest so you can find the best deals in the fall with courses still in good condition. 

There has already been a huge uptick in fall golf trip bookings, so make sure to start planning now to get the travel dates and tee times you want for your group! 

Editor’s note: This article is presented in partnership with Golfbreaks. When you make a purchase through links in this article, GolfWRX may earn an affiliate commission. 

RELATED: 7 PGA TOUR courses you need to play

  

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Photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

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1 day ago

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GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.

From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.

Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.

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See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.

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