Bryson DeChambeau is perhaps the most interesting man in professional golf.
The 2020 U.S. Open champion is a social media star, from his TikTok page to his YouTube videos. He also made waves earlier this year when he put 3D-printed irons into his bag, something that has led to a pair of top-10 finishes in the first two majors of the year.
When it comes to boring, DeChambeau is the polar opposite. He has become a fan favorite again in recent months because of his social presence, a title he didn’t have in the months after his move to LIV Golf. But this week, as he prepares for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, DeChambeau is preaching boring.
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“If I get my irons in a place where I’m hitting it in the middle of the greens and just playing boring golf, that’s the goal for me this week is try to play as boring a golf as possible,” DeChambeau said Tuesday in his pre-tournament press conference.”
Hearing DeChambeau saying he wants to play boring golf is like Stephen Curry or Caitlin Clark saying they are only going to shoot layups. Who wants to see that?
But that’s the challenge that Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina presents. While it can reward big tee shots, it’s a ball-striker’s course that will penalize shots barely offline, and the putting surfaces are punishing to any shots that aren’t in the correct location.
“Looking forward to a tough test of golf out here. Pinehurst is no joke,” DeChambeau said. “You have to hit it in the middle of the greens. And this is a Boo Weekley quote, but the center of the green never moves, so I’ll try to focus on that this week.”
MORE: Tuesday practice round photos at Pinehurst No. 2
DeChambeau has become so popular in part because he goes against the grain and is willing to try things no one else does, and he does it spectacularly. From single-length irons, swinging out of his shoes on drives and tinkering with every little aspect of his swing, he’s not afraid to go out on a limb to gain an advantage while on the course.
However, at a major championship test that’s a bit different than others, don’t expect DeChambeau to swing for the fences on every tee box.
“It stinks hitting a 6-iron off the tee compared to a driver, but sometimes you’ve got to do it and you’ve got to make the right decision for shooting the lowest score out here,” DeChambeau said. “There’s numerous holes like 3, I’d love to go for that green every single day, and I may go for it. I don’t know, you never know with me. Certainly on the tee box if it’s downwind, I’ll give it a go probably.”
DeChambeau finished a shot behind Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship, finishing at 20 under. It’s more than likely the winning score will be significantly less than that this week, but that doesn’t mean DeChambeau won’t entertain the crowds as he has during the first two majors of the year.
“I’m looking forward to a great challenge this week,” DeChambeau said. “It’s a lot of boring golf. It’s definitely different than Valhalla, but I’ll try to do my best to show the crowd some fun drives and some hopefully long-made putts.”