If it is commonly held that Bryson DeChambeau is not the world’s best golfer at the moment, although that issue is up for debate, it is clear that he remains one of the most enigmatic. His commitment to innovation and trying new things have been a net benefit for his game, as well as the rest of golf.
The UK newspaper The Independent ran an article just after Christmas, stating that 2024 was the Year of Bryson, pointing to his success on and off the course. The paper felt that DeChambeau had broken out as a celebrity (his YouTube channel has become a sensation), suggesting that he had become one of the faces of golf. Others have speculated that he may now be the most popular golfer in the world, which is quite the feat given the reception given to many LIV ‘rebels.’
But what could 2025 have in store for one of the most interesting players in the game? Below, we look at some of the possibilities:
Major Glory?
DeChambeau’s 2024 US Open victory was both surprising and unsurprising in equal measure. His form had tailed off (relatively speaking) in 2023 and early 2024, yet there was evidence that he was picking up again, notably at the Masters (Tied 6th) and PGA Championship (2nd). In betting terms, he was a longshot, but he was good value for that pulsating victory over Rory McIlroy. It’s going to be intriguing to see how he fares at Augusta in April after his best-ever finish last year.
Tactical Changes
DeChambeau is famous for his power, although, perhaps surprisingly, he does not rank in the top five of the longest golf drives in PGA history. Nonetheless, it is perhaps unfair that DeChambeau was tagged with the “distance over accuracy” tag for a long time. It’s too simplistic to describe his game in that manner. He is constantly tweaking his strategy, something that was evident at the Masters last year. He was also markedly different in his approach in the 2020 US Open compared to the 2024 one. We fully expect him to continue to experiment with his game this year – they do call him The Scientist, after all.
Social Media
DeChambeau is one of the most prominent golfers on social media. It’s not just about the number of followers but the style of content he puts out. Indeed, a video went viral in early January when a fan was invited to DeChambeau’s house in an attempt to hit a hole-in-one by chipping the ball over DeChambeau’s roof. The fan did so after a few shots, lightning DeChambeau’s wallet by $100K.
LIV Tour Form
The LIV Tour starts in February in Saudi Arabia, and to be frank, DeChambeau’s form was not great last season. He is captain of the Chargers, yet he only scraped two top-five finishes across the season. It wasn’t awful, yet he was often overshadowed by his teammates. It was part of the reason that his success in the Majors in 2024 took so many by surprise.
A PGA Return?
It’s purely speculative, but there are rumors that all is not well on the LIV Tour. Players are said to be unhappy at the lack of progress on an agreement for world ranking points, a fact that seems to have cost LIV Chairman Greg Norman his job. DeChambeau, as well as others like Brooks Koepka, are among those who are said to be unhappy. These guys aren’t signed to LIV for life, by the way, and many have contracts running out at the end of the year. We expect to see some players announce they are coming ‘home’ in 2025, and DeChambeau could be among them.
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