Bryson DeChambeau wants to power his way through Augusta National

07 April 2021: Power impresses, no matter what the sport.

Home-run hitters such as Barry Bonds and Darryl Strawberry drew crowds of spectators, both fellow players and fans, when they took batting practice, so prodigious were the moon shots they launched before their games.

These days, a similar thing is happening in golf, whenever Bryson DeChambeau pulls a driver from his golf bag on the practice range. People want to see just how fast he swings that club and how far he hits the ball. In fact, one of the most enduring images of this year’s Masters to date was the sight of the usually reserved Vijay Singh smiling broadly as DeChambeau thrashed at one tee shot after another at the Tournament Practice Facility on Monday.

What will be even more interesting, however, is what DeChambeau, who is currently ranked No. 5 in the world, will do once the Tournament begins. He was no doubt disappointed with a T-34 finish in last year’s Masters after winning the US Open just a couple of months before. And so were his followers, who have been as fascinated by his quest for as much distance as possible off the tee as by his triumphs.

Now comes his chance at Masters redemption. And DeChambeau seems committed to using his distance again in his quest for a Green Jacket. But with some adjustments.

The 2015 individual NCAA champion, who played for the SMU Mustangs and now calls Dallas home, seemed in good cheer when he arrived at Augusta – and in good form. His win this past March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational was his eighth triumph on the PGA Tour, and DeChambeau followed that with a third-place finish in The Players Championship.

He also seems to have put his struggles from the 2020 Masters behind as he concentrates on what he needs to do to win this time around.

“Given what I learned last November, I’m going to be focused mainly on accomplishing how I hit iron shots into greens to give myself the bests chance to make birdie,” said DeChambeau, who played his first Masters in 2016 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion and on Thursday will be starting his fifth.

“There were a lot of times last year where I hit decent enough drives but just didn’t feel like I was hitting shots in the correct quadrants of the greens or giving myself opportunities on par-5s like I should have,” he said.

DeChambeau is quick to add that he did not give himself many good chances on the par-4s either. That has compelled him to look more closely at how he can better attack those holes – and make more birdies.

You have to be able to go out there and hit a great shot when the pressure comes on. And if I don’t do that, all that knowledge I have gathered does not really mean that much.

One approach he is contemplating is taking lines off the tee that can best be described as aggressive. Like bombing his drive on No. 1 down the right side, over the fairway bunker and then over trees. And he sees himself making similar moves on subsequent holes.

“On No. 11, I can squeeze it down the right side pretty far [with my driver],” he said. “On No. 9, I can take it over the left trees and get into that big, expansive grass area [on the flat], which is cool. On the 5th, I may hit over the bunkers on the left. And yes, on 3, I will try to drive the green again. It’s a little firmer than it was last year, so I should be able to do that. The ball should roll out pretty far on a number of the holes.”

DeChambeau believes that the Augusta National course suits his game, and he feels that is especially so when it is playing firm and fast.

“When you look at it from a statistical standpoint, there are lots of advantages to be had with length for me,” said the man who is currently ranked No. 1 in Driving Distance on the PGA Tour as well as in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. “But length is only as good as you can hit your next shot. Augusta National doesn’t just test your driving. It tests your second shots, your third shots, your ability to make that 4-foot putt for par. To win here, you need to have every facet of your game working really, really well.”

One of DeChambeau’s charms is how hard he works on his game. He gets kidded for his willingness to try different things to get better, and he gets reactions like the one Singh had on the practice tee Monday. But that does not stop him from going down what even he describes as “rabbit holes,” if that is what it takes to win golf tournaments in general – and to win the Masters in particular.

“I will not stop doing that, and I will not stop my pursuit of knowledge of the game, my knowledge of the body and my knowledge of the golf swing to give myself my best chance to win,” he said.

But he quickly adds that even with all that information, he knows that still comes down to execution.

“You have to be able to go out there and hit a great shot when the pressure comes on,” he said. “And if I don’t do that, all that knowledge I have gathered does not really mean that much.”

It’s time to give it another try.

John Steinbreder at Augusta National – masters.com