Just one week after the PGA Tour and LIV Golf ended their hostilities, Bryson DeChambeau can sense a change in the atmosphere in the locker room and on the course.
DeChambeau started the U.S. Open on Thursday with a 67, five strokes down of the tournament’s record-setters Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele, who both shot 62.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s historic collaboration was announced in a remarkable way, and this Open at Los Angeles Country Club is the first major since. Over the last two years, the Saudi Arabia-backed competition has drawn scores of elite players—DeChambeau being one of the most notable—to its very contentious endeavour with extravagant payments, but last week’s seismic move has once again rocked golf.
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Nobody is certain of how the sport will develop in the foreseeable future, although LIV is committed to continuing its own championships in some capacity. But according to DeChambeau, the us versus them mentality that developed as a result of the LIV defections on both sides is less common now.
DeChambeau observed that everyone seemed to be having a little more fun. It’s been nice to see all the participants acting more neutrally, making the atmosphere a little cosier than before. I suppose you could argue there is less strain, which is good for golf. The fans should always be able to watch us play as a team.
On the historic course that borders Beverly Hills and Century City, the 29-year-old DeChambeau played aggressively and successfully while the sky was gloomy, recording four birdies on his back nine. In stark contrast to the PGA Championship just a month prior near Rochester, New York, where DeChambeau and fellow LIV pro Brooks Koepka were jeered on the first tee at Oak Hill, he ended his round to cheers from the Southern California audience.
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Although opinions differ on whether or not their pseudo-outlaw status motivates them, LIV players have already turned in a number of spectacular performances at majors this year. Jon Rahm won the Masters, and Koepka and Phil Mickelson finished second and third, respectively. Four weeks prior, Koepka had won the PGA Championship ahead of Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith of LIV.
According to Dustin Johnson, who tied for sixth place at the 2018 British Open, LIV will hold events as scheduled in 2024. Regardless of what the long term holds, the 2016 U.S. Open champion is savouring every opportunity to compete in major tournaments against the best.
When asked on Thursday if he noticed any tensions easing on tour, Johnson responded, “Not for me. “I thought that throughout it all, I’ve always had a nice relationship with the men. But now, without a doubt, I could see (DeChambeau’s) perspective.
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Though the relationship between the tours is still in its infancy, it is becoming more and more obvious that the PGA Tour’s status quo won’t return right away.
DeChambeau responded in the affirmative when asked if things at LIV were still operating as usual. His four-man team, the Crushers, will continue to grow under his leadership.
We’re quite thrilled about hiring someone here soon for the GM post (for the Crushers), said DeChambeau.
DeChambeau was born and raised in Clovis, a Fresno suburb located about 220 miles north of Los Angeles. There were a lot of people who wanted to see more of the divisive player, who has two top-10 finishes in his last three majors, in the Californian stands.
“I just feel like I prepare a little bit differently for the major championships, and I feel like my length has a big advantage in these events,” DeChambeau said. Even at the Open the previous year, I believed that having a 230-yard 6-iron would be really beneficial on any golf course. If you put everyone on a challenging golf course, I believe that someone who can hit the ball farther has an advantage, provided they can maintain the ball in play to some extent. You may say that (I) am ignored. I won’t say anything, but my goal is to claim a major championship.
DeChambeau said that he has been spending more time than he would have liked to in the past several days on the driving range, hitting “more golf balls than I would like to, ever.” It’s the last step in his attempt to recapture the form he shown in 2018, when he won four matches and made it into the top five in the world rankings.
He said, “I feel like I’m really close to obtaining it. “Because I played the first two days at the PGA with it, and then it started to falter a little bit. However, I was still able to score well and play well-solid golf. I’ll definitely be in the running if I can maintain my PGA-level performance.
