News

Bryson DeChambeau apologizes after footage of him damaging the practice green at WGC-Mexico surfaces

Published

7 years ago

Feb 22, 2019

Bryson DeChambeau has issued an apology after damaging the practice green following the opening day’s play at the WGC-Mexico. DeChambeau failed to record a single birdie on day one of the tournament, and eagle-eyed viewers spotted his most recent meltdown during Sky Sports UK’s broadcast.

Bryson DeChambeau damaging a green in anger, yesterday in Mexico. ????????pic.twitter.com/HyT6PCC4tL

— National Club Golfer (@NCGMagazine) February 22, 2019

In a statement prior to today’s second round in Mexico, DeChambeau stated

“I want to apologize to my fans, fellow players and the staff at Chapultepec for my actions following the round yesterday. I am an extremely passionate player and I am always working on ways to be better. I am certainly not perfect but I respect the grounds staff and the game of golf and am focused on working harder on this just like I do on my golf game.”

The source of irritation for the five-time winner on the PGA Tour looks to have been from his performance on the greens themselves. DeChambeau finished 71st in the 72 man event for strokes gained-putting for Thursday’s round, losing 3.6 strokes to the field with the flat-stick.

The incident follows DeChambeau’s outburst last week at the Genesis Open where he slammed his wedge into a bunker.

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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected]

30 Comments

john

Mar 1, 2019 at 1:28 pm

Everything I see and read about this guy tells me he’s a dick. The game seems to be full of them right now.

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Tom

Feb 25, 2019 at 5:41 pm

DeShamebozo like, “its just Mexico, who cares?”

Reply Report comment
Just_said_it

Feb 25, 2019 at 2:56 pm

For all you pencil pro’s out there. These guys are in the spotlight 24/7, who cares if they show a little emotion on the course. He is not spoiled, he is not a brat, he is human and he cares about being successful, and he immediately fixed the damage. This is no different than a baseball player that smacks his bat into the turf after striking out, stop criticizing people because some joke of a magazine, no one outside of the UK has heard off, tried to be relevant for 30 seconds by posting this on social media. 99% of the jokers on here have never experienced pressure or pukes all over themselves when they are faced with a 2 footer to clinch a $5 nasa.

@Josh smalls, thank you bringing some prospective
@Geoff, @Rory O Donnell @youraway and @Rich, go get your participation trophies, because you don’t care about passion for success!

My 2 cents!

Reply Report comment
Jamie

Feb 24, 2019 at 2:01 pm

Self-centered knowitall only sorry that he got caught.

Reply Report comment
JP

Feb 24, 2019 at 1:56 pm

Where are the people crying that Bryson “owes” the underprivileged Mexican grounds staff 10% of his earnings?!?

Reply Report comment
Dave

Feb 24, 2019 at 8:48 am

as a former professional (in another sport) I get the intensity and drive to perfection; to be the best. But with comes a responsibility because as a pro you are in the limelight and under intense scrutinization on a constant basis. Many younger pros, while athletically talented, just aren’t mature enough to realize their actions are under a microscope. Its time Bryson grows up (as well as some other golf pros). When he does and channels his emotions into his game, he will be hard to beat. His talent is there, he just needs to find another way to release his emotions..The greens and bunkers are not the way.

Reply Report comment
- Doug
  
  Feb 24, 2019 at 10:23 am
  
  Prove it!
  
  Reply Report comment
geohogan

Feb 23, 2019 at 11:22 pm

There was the incident in France and now we see his narcissistic behavior is a pattern.

Self centered, self absorbed, may qualify for POTUS but should be suspended from PGA.

Reply Report comment
Josh smalls

Feb 23, 2019 at 10:57 pm

It’s funny watching people get mad. It’s also funny when fans justify bad actions by the amount of money someone has made.

Bryson is a good golfer… but who cares? Its golf lol. Golf… lol.

Oh, and telling people how smart you are shows how dumb you actually are. Somebody has some issues!

Reply Report comment
- Jojo dontknow
  
  Feb 24, 2019 at 3:33 pm
  
  Saying how smart you are or good you are at a thing typically displays a need for approval or insecurity about that thing. Some of the most beautiful people in the world are horribly insecure about their looks. Some of the people who are the absolute best few people in the world at what they do are insecure about their skill level, and that applies to all fields, sports, language, mathematics, etc. There is little to no truth to what you are saying.
  
  Reply Report comment
AAA

Feb 23, 2019 at 8:21 pm

Is that an apology? It reads I, I and I. You just don’t do that, period. I have heard that pga players get fined for saying the f-word. This is a lot worse.

Reply Report comment
Rich Douglas

Feb 23, 2019 at 5:18 pm

There’s a certain amount of built-in animus towards BDC; a lot of people are looking for an excuse not to like him. I’m sure it’s because he’s smart and they’re not. So given that, it’s important for him not to give anyone any excuse. Unfortunately, he seems to have an anger management issue that needs to be addressed. I hope he does because his innovations–and winning–are great for the game. But not when he acts like this.

Reply Report comment
A

Feb 23, 2019 at 9:43 am

Look, I get that he’s a pedantic child, a nerd, a geek, playing golf in a scientific way, but acting out like this isn’t going to endear him to any fans in any way. He must have a really crap team of people around him who have no idea how to help him with his poor behavior, regardless of how good a player he is. He needs to quickly assemble a better team of people around him to help him thru his career on Tour, if he plans on surviving the attack from media and fans everywhere

Reply Report comment
Chris Wirthwein

Feb 23, 2019 at 7:58 am

If you ask me, this all started in the 2nd round of the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst when T. Woods angrily gouged the putting surface after missing a short putt on the 9th green. N.Y. Post reporter Mark Canizarro described it as “a clear gash more than a foot long in the surface.”

I recall watching it live on TV and presumed at the time he would be DQ’d. It was replayed once, then never again. Does anyone know where video footage can be found? My guess is that’s it’s been permanently destroyed. See link for the story in NY Post: https://nypost.com/2005/06/18/tigers-claws-come-out/

It was also reported in the Chicago Tribune, but appears few other “journalists” were willing to cross the unspoken line of non-criticism of Woods.

Hey Gianni, how about tracking down some photo and video evidence? You’d be doing something for the good of the game. What DeChambeau did on a practice green in the blah, blah, blah Open pales in comparison to the behavior of Woods in our national championship.

Reply Report comment
Rich

Feb 23, 2019 at 4:07 am

This guy is a peanut, just like Sergio. One of these days, he’ll wake up and realise there will NEVER be a time that he will be able to work everything out and account for everything that goes wrong on the golf course. You can never beat the game of golf. It will always beat you. Sometimes it let’s you have some good days but in the end, it will always win. The sooner these peanuts learn to accept this, the better.

Reply Report comment
- Johnny Penso
  
  Feb 23, 2019 at 2:43 pm
  
  Several wins on tour and many millions of dollars say he’s on the right track…for him. May not work for you or anyone else.
  
  Reply Report comment
Riiiiite

Feb 23, 2019 at 2:54 am

Oy vey.
Now people are gonna be up his are every time he tees it up, and rightly so.

Reply Report comment
Rory O Donnell

Feb 23, 2019 at 2:54 am

This behaviour should be stamped out immediately, by bans if necessary. My main concern is that we’ll see this replicated at our local course by young brats (who happen to be good players)

Reply Report comment
Richard

Feb 23, 2019 at 1:46 am

Phew, glad it was an American and not a Spaniard doing this. Saved a lot of vitriol.

Reply Report comment
Theo

Feb 22, 2019 at 9:49 pm

I’d like to see how the damage caused by his tantrum compares to the average divot from an approach shot. Definitely not a good move, but it appears that he immediately fixed the green.

I’ve seen videos of grown men jumping golf carts over sand traps and I’ve seen pictures of the president parking a golf cart on a green. Nobody cared. Nobody holds themselves to the same standard that they expect from these professionals. This guy is a 25 year old with a more mature disposition than most of the doctors you’ll meet at Mayo Clinic. Yes he had a fit, but if my kid ends up anything like Bryson I’ll be thrilled.

I don’t know the purpose of this comment. Maybe look at your own behavior before judging someone else.

Reply Report comment
Phil D. Snuts

Feb 22, 2019 at 5:49 pm

This hasn’t affected my life in any way, shape, or form.

…………In other news………….

Reply Report comment
- Fritznw
  
  Feb 24, 2019 at 7:18 pm
  
  It must, you took time to post…something?!
  
  Reply Report comment
youraway

Feb 22, 2019 at 5:40 pm

Last week a bunker and this week a green. Spoiled and no respect for those who labor to make the greens in their best condition. Fight the rain, fight the weather changes, diseases, etc, and now have to contend with golfers who can’t control their emotions and damage the course. Step aside Sergio, you have competition.

Reply Report comment
Geoff

Feb 22, 2019 at 4:46 pm

How on earth does this guy not get any kind of reprimand for his infantile fits that are causing damage to the courses? Beyond me…

Reply Report comment
- Sherwin
  
  Feb 23, 2019 at 12:21 am
  
  It was the practice green not the course. And he fixed the damage right away.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Geoff
    
    Feb 23, 2019 at 2:09 pm
    
    And the week before? When he takes a chunk out of the side of a bunker? Those are only the last 2 weeks and the only ones caught on camera…my guess is that these are not isolated incidents limited to just these last couple weeks.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Mums
    
    Feb 24, 2019 at 8:50 pm
    
    +1. It was a butthole move, but he fixed it asap. Let it go.
    
    Reply Report comment
Ray Neese

Feb 22, 2019 at 4:45 pm

Any player damaging the course in fit of anger should face immediate 90 day suspension. I love golf and disappointed in the behavior of guys playing the best courses and getting catered to all the time. New shoes, clubs, clothes, balls, food, vehicles and the list goes on. Not just damaging course but integrity of the game of GOLF. Majority of these guys MILLIONAIRES. Maybe let them work on maintenance crew and perspective would change. Apologies mean nothing other than damage control for their image. PGA Tour is losing control of small amount of rich crybabies.

Reply Report comment
- Simms
  
  Feb 22, 2019 at 5:49 pm
  
  There is a cure for these rich crybabies…force PGA tour to pay every single person working at the tournaments…every marshal, every gate keeper, every parking lot attendant etc. Then you would see players winning MAYBE $200,000 at most and the last place cut maker maybe $3,000…
  
  Reply Report comment
C-murda

Feb 22, 2019 at 4:15 pm

What an ass, this kid needs some golf zen. Your emotions affect your play and being on tour you’d think they should hold a higher standard of etiquette.

Reply Report comment

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Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

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Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

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Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

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Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

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Kaneko’s Suitcase

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Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
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The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

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