Bryson DeChambeau doesn’t do regrets but if he did, labelling Augusta National a par-67 in the lead-up to the 2020 Masters tournament would surely be right up there.
Back then the protein shakes clearly went to the American’s head; DeChambeau convinced that his newfound power could bring the home of the Masters to its knees that November.
Confidence was understandably high after Bryson bomb and gouged his way to a six-shot victory at the US Open at Winged Foot but his comments prior to the Masters managed to do nothing more than set him up for an almighty fall.
“I’m looking at it as a par 67 for me because I can reach all the par fives in two, no problem. If the conditions stay the way they are, that’s what I feel like par is for me,” he said at the time.
Cue rounds of 70, 74, 69 and 73 for a T34 finish. Since then it’s only got worse with DeChambeau, finishing outside the top-40 in 2021 before missing the cut last year. Asked about the par-67 appraisal on Monday, Bryson said;
“I don’t think I regret anything I do. What I do understand is that I have a lot of respect for the course. Because of that statement people think I don’t have respect for the course. Are you kidding me?
“This is one of the greatest golf courses in the entire world, and if anybody thinks I don’t have respect for the course, they’d better go check out who I actually am because it’s not accurate one bit.
“Hypothetically, theoretically, look, if you make 18 birdies it’s going to be 54, right? Unattainable. A 67 every day, unattainable. It can happen, but is it likely to happen? Probably not.
“With the distance I’m hitting it and was hitting it, I thought there was a possibility, but that’s only with your A-game, and I should have rephrased that.
“Long story short, I don’t want anybody to take it out of context. And clearly I shot 12 over last year and missed the cut. So I shot like 32 over par. I can make a joke about it.”
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