Bryson DeChambeau gave everything he had Sunday. The PGA Championship was better for it

Source: The New York Times
Author: Gabby Herzig

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Bryson DeChambeau is golf's mad scientist, but his final-round 64 at the PGA Championship more closely resembled witchcraft.

The sorcery began when DeChambeau elected to putt through Valhalla Golf Club's spiky zoysia fairway grass just off the sixth green, draining a long-range birdie putt and running full circle around his caddie in celebration.

It continued on the 10th hole as he muscled a 6-iron 248 yards, hurling words of encouragement at his airborne golf ball to set up two putts for birdie on the par-5 -- reachable for most only with a fairway wood.

The charge peaked on the par-4 16th when DeChambeau thanked the friendly tree that somehow deposited his wayward drive into the middle of the fairway. You can't get a bounce like that and not take advantage. Eight iron in hand from 221, DeChambeau launched the next one straight for the pin, walking after it with a noticeably animated step, almost as if to will the ball closer to the hole. DeChambeau leaned forward and squinted, tracking the shot as it landed three feet from the cup.

It all culminated when DeChambeau's final birdie putt curled inside the right edge on 18. He tied Xander Schauffele at 20-under-par. He broke the major championship tournament scoring record, momentarily. He bolted to the driving range to pound balls into oblivion and stay loose for a potential playoff. He never took more than 15 seconds between shots as Schauffele's pursuit of a maiden major championship unfolded on a leaderboard in his peripheral vision.

The full-body fist pumps. The booming drives. The TV camera staredowns.

It still wasn't enough for DeChambeau to win his second major on Sunday.

"I gave it my all," DeChambeau said. "I put as much effort as I possibly could into it and I knew that my B game would be enough. It's just clearly somebody played incredibly well."

Even without all his tools at his disposal, DeChambeau did not hold back. If you know anything about the eight-time PGA Tour winner turned Crushers GC captain turned YouTube Golf sensation, that simply isn't in his nature.

DeChambeau's level of exertion was evident throughout the week in Louisville. It was on display when he turned to the gallery off the 18th green, ripped off his LIV Golf team cap, and yelled, "Let's f -- ing go!"

You saw it when Golf Channel showed him hammering balls into the pitch-black night sky after Saturday's round, even though he shot a third-round 67 with an eagle at the last. You could hear it when he spoke of his one-of-a-kind 3D-printed golf clubs and his meticulous pre-tournament preparation. You could feel it when he slammed his 3-wood into the ground at driving range after Schauffele finally made his win official and stormed up the hill toward Valhalla's iconic clubhouse to congratulate his competitor, before disappearing into player dining.

"Emptying the tank," DeChambeau said. "I certainly love to do that and give the fans everything I can."

DeChambeau left absolutely everything out there at Valhalla, and even though he didn't win, the Louisville crowd was electrified by the content machine who has now posted back-to-back top-6 finishes in this year's major championships.

The galleries at Valhalla responded to DeChambeau's hole-outs, birdie putts and towering tee shots, but more than anything they responded to his enthusiasm. DeChambeau looked genuinely delighted, and for lack of a better descriptor, he appeared utterly fired up while walking the fairways in one of the final pairings of a major championship.

Between the 9th and 10th holes on Sunday, DeChambeau's attempt to toss a ball to a young fan was intercepted by an adult. He stopped in his tracks and yelled until the older spectator returned the gift to its rightful recipient. On the 13th tee, he chuckled with his caddie Gregory Bodine when he nearly hit a long iron through the fairway, clearly shocked at the adrenaline pulsing through his limbs.

DeChambeau's frequent celebratory gestures didn't feel overdone or forced, they seemed instinctual and joyous. He isn't just a showman to be a showman. Over the past several years, DeChambeau has built a very intentional brand outside of professional golf.

On his YouTube channel, DeChambeau attempts to "Break 50" from the forward tees with various guests. On his Snapchat story, he gives fans a sneak peek at the behind-the-scenes happenings of professional golf. On TikTok, he demonstrates helpful swing drills and debunks golf instruction myths.

"He has a lot of haters," DeChambeau's mother, Jan, said, walking down the eighth fairway at Augusta National last month. "His videos allow him to show people that he's really just a nice guy."

Like him or not, DeChambeau lit up the Valhalla crowd on Sunday more than anyone in contention, including the eventual champion. He was the clear on-site favorite, and it wasn't particularly close. As DeChambeau raised his hands at the birdie on No. 18 to tie Schauffele's lead, the entire Louisville gallery lifted their arms with him.

"YouTube has helped me understand that a little bit more," DeChambeau said. "When the moment comes, knowing what to do, what to say, how to act is really important. You know, when I was younger I didn't understand what it was. Yeah, I would have great celebrations and whatnot, but I didn't know what it meant and what I was doing it necessarily for. Now I'm doing it a lot more for the fans and for the people around and trying to be a bit of an entertainer that plays good golf every once in a while."

Those moments did present themselves for DeChambeau on Sunday in Kentucky. They just didn't add up to a win.

It could be his relentless on-course efforts or his Gen-Z-approved social media activity. Or maybe it's just his absence from week-to-week PGA Tour events and the golf world simply wants what it can't have. DeChambeau put a spell on us on Sunday at Valhalla. Now we'll just have to wait until we get to witness his magic again.