Bryson DeChambeau, the winner of the 2020 U.S. Open, raised eyebrows among golf equipment fans on Thursday when he put a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ driver into play at the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia. DeChambeau, a member of 2018 and 2021 United States Ryder Cup teams, has been a staff player and brand ambassador with Cobra Puma Golf since turning pro at the PGA Tour’s 2016 RBC Heritage.
In preparing its story on DeChambeau using the TaylorMade driver, Golfweek reached out to representatives of Cobra Puma Golf for comment but did not get an answer. Then, late Thursday evening, a text message was returned from an executive at Cobra, stating, “Bryson is not currently on staff with CPG [Cobra Puma Golf] as his contract was up in 2022. We are in discussions about 2023 and the future.”
If DeChambeau’s contract with Cobra Puma Golf ended in 2022, then he is an equipment ‘free agent’ and is not obligated to use any brand’s clubs. Last July, after joining LIV Golf, Bridgestone and DeChambeau also parted ways.
Titleist confirmed to Golfweek that DeChambeau is using a Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash ball this week in Saudi Arabia.
The topic of Bryson DeChambeau’s golf equipment future has two important things to consider.
First, what value does Bryson DeChambeau now have to golf equipment makers? While he is exempt into golf’s major championships through 2025 thanks to his win at Winged Foot in 2020, he is suspended from PGA Tour events, which means he will also not be a part of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup going forward. Golf fans will only see DeChambeau play in LIV Series events that stream mid-week on The CW app and The CW channel itself on the weekends, so his visibility will be significantly down.
DeChambeau also uses highly-specialized golf equipment that most golfers would not buy. His drivers typically have only five or six degrees of loft while most recreational golfers need at least nine or 10 degrees, and he has been openly critical of his custom-made gear on several occasions, most notably at the 2021 British Open.
“If I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, that’s great, but with the driver right now, the driver sucks,” he said after an opening-round 71 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club. “It’s not a good face for me, and we’re still trying to figure out how to make it good on the mis-hits. I’m living on the razor’s edge, like I’ve told people for a long time.”
That outburst drew pushback from Cobra and initiated internal discussions within Cobra Puma Golf about Bryson’s future with the brand.
The second consideration when discussing DeChambeau and equipment is, does he even want an endorsement deal with a company?
When DeChambeau confirmed that he had signed with LIV last July, he said that it was for four and a half years and the deal was worth more than $125 million. His career PGA Tour earnings are $26,519,235 and he has signed numerous endorsement deals with not only Cobra Puma Golf and Bridgestone. He lists LA Golf, Rolex, NetJets, LocaliQ, NetReturn and Zen WTR as partners on his website and has also had Microsoft, Club Champion and Veritex Bank on his golf bag over the years.
Would signing an equipment deal for a few million dollars a year motivate DeChambeau to sign with a brand?
The downside of remaining an equipment free agent for DeChambeau, aside from the loss of revenue, would be not getting the level of service that Cobra has provided for six years.
Cobra’s PGA Tour rep, Ben Schomin, told Golfweek in 2021 that the brand was continuously designing and making custom driver heads for Bryson. He also plays one-length irons, with each club being the approximate length of a 7-iron (37 1/2″). Schomin himself made significant modifications to Bryson’s clubs over the years.
Without being affiliated with a major brand, getting equipment that fits his swing and style will be challenging.
DeChambeau has viewed the golf world differently for years, but moving forward as an equipment free agent could make getting things in focus much more challenging.
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