DUBLIN, Ohio – Bryson DeChambeau’s first shot on the PGA Tour in 55 days was exactly what he wanted to see.
“I hit it down the fairway, I was like, all right, cool,” he said of his opening drive on the first hole in Thursday’s first round of The Memorial at Muirfield Village Golf Club. “Still have my game somewhat.”
His spirits remained high through the first 11 holes and he was 1 under heading to the water-protected par-3 12th. But he hit his tee shot into the water, then followed with three bogeys in his final five holes to turn in a 4-over 76, which put him nine shots out of the lead.
But for the most part, DeChambeau’s return to the PGA Tour for the first time since he missed the cut in the Masters was a positive sign as he moves on from wrist surgery earlier this year.
“The fact that I was able to enjoy golf again even though I played terrible,” DeChambeau said when asked what he was happiest about. “I know I have a lot of stuff to work on. Just being able to go out there, start to enjoy what this game has given me. It’s great seeing the fans out there, supporting me, pushing me on, even when I’m not doing great. Gives me some comfort that it’s fun again.
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“From a golf perspective, no, I hated every minute of it. But from an emotional standpoint, it was nice to finally be back again in a competitive environment, putting well. Felt like I was putting really good. Wedging was not great. It was all over the place. But I haven’t practiced in a while. I’ve got to go work on that and talk to (coach) Chris Como and we’ll go figure it out.”
The eight-time PGA Tour winner and 2020 U.S. Open champion said this week is a stepping stone into his future.
“It’s a great test run to keep going, because really my eyes are set on the U.S. Open. That’s where I want to be full horse, all horses moving in the right direction. I’m just not there yet with everything,” he said. “But it just didn’t feel like the old me of 2018 like I used to, and so there’s a lot of work I have to do to get back to top form and climb that mountain again. I’m excited to do so.
“I’ve been working so hard to try and understand why the golf swing breaks down. It’s not as repeatable. And my time off, I haven’t been able to hit golf balls. It’s very difficult. You’re in your head the whole time. You have this thought process, and you go out there and it’s OK, but it doesn’t pan out the way you want to.
“So really having a positive attitude even though things aren’t going great out there is important for me. Now, I’ve learned that that’s what really matters for me. I enjoy the journey again. I’ve taken enough time off to where I’m comfortable going after it again; whereas before it was tough because it’s like, man, I was grinding so hard and I wasn’t figuring stuff out. It can just beat you down.
“But I was excited to get out there and play golf again and compete.”
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