Bryson DeChambeau Reflects on Impact of Negative Publicity

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU would be the first to admit that he has made headlines for all the wrong reasons, but the American says that he wants to change all that and even claims that all the adverse publicity he received in 2021 made him consider walking away from the game.

DeChambeau was never far from the headlines in 2021 as a result of his ongoing feud with Brooks Koepka. He also caught Covid and publicly criticised Cobra, his club manufacturer, during The Open at Royal St George’s. It was a pretty unedifying episode and resulted in him being told to stop acting like a spoilt child.

He has revealed that there was a time last year that he "felt like I wanted to leave the game”.

"I've had struggles in the past with different numerous things that have gone on, but I'm continuing to learn and grow and respond in ways that help the game of golf out," DeChambeau said. "That's honestly all I want. I don't want to be a controversial figure, I just want to be someone people look up to and aspire to be like, or inspire them to work harder."

He won the US Open at Winged Foot in 2020 in spectacular fashion, overpowering one of the most fearsome courses in the USA. He then announced that, for him, Augusta National was a par 67. That came back to bite him as he finished in a tie for 34th place at The Masters.

“All that stuff changed my perspective on everything. Sometimes the let-downs were really difficult. It's amazing what people can do when they tell you you're this or that all the time when you know it's not true. Being at the centre of so much criticism becomes difficult at times, but as time goes on, you realise what are you doing this for, why are you doing it and how can you continue to improve in that quest for inspiring the next generation.

“Actor Chris Pratt helped me out at a really difficult time for me. He told me to play this fictional character for a while. 'I know you're not happy, you're in a very difficult spot, but act like you're acting for a little bit' and as time has gone on, that's gone away and I've become myself again.

“There was a point in time where it wouldn't have been fun being around me because of how frustrated and disappointed and sad I was."

Interestingly, DeChambeau has also revealed that he will not be taking part in the new Netflix documentary series about life on the PGA Tour.

 "I love Netflix, I have a great time with it, but for me, it wasn't right at the present moment,” he said. "There wasn't a deal struck that was very well for my side of it. I feel like people are seeing me on YouTube and Instagram with the content I put out myself and they're getting a pretty dang good look inside my life and to have more people come in and go even farther - which is almost impossible for what I'm giving out - is too invasive for me."