Bryson DeChambeau is perhaps modern golf’s one true maverick. Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny his box-office pull (he is the Avengers of the golfing world).
His brash, outspoken nature is a major part of his undeniable appeal. He doesn’t mind putting his finger in the eye of the establishment and has the receipts to prove it. With the drama of Birkdale still fresh in the memory, here are my personal picks for Bryson’s five most controversial moments.
5. The dismissive handshake: Bryson ghosts Richard McEvoy
This relatively minor incident at the 2018 Porsche European Open gave us an early glimpse into the mercurial psychology of DeChambeau. The American was paired in the final group with unassuming Englishman Richard McEvoy (what a delightfully odd couple that was). McEvoy shot a final-round 73 to secure his first DP World Tour title. DeChambeau capitulated, shooting 78 to finish well down the leaderboard. And the American essentially spoilt McEvoy’s party, giving him a desultory handshake at the last before storming off the field like he needed to desperately catch up with House of the Dragon (though it would have been Game of Thrones then). It was an intriguing window into DeChambeau legendary narcissism. To his credit, DeChambeau did publicly acknowledge his own petulance, giving McEvoy his flowers via social media.
4. 2025 US Open: Narrowly avoiding disqualification
An incident from last year’s US Open serves was an ominous precursor to this year’s Open Championship drama. Defending his US Open title at Oakmont, DeChambeau came under intense scrutiny after an incident involving his caddie. His caddie picked up a ball from a spectator crosswalk without properly marking it. DeChambeau then incorrectly placed the ball instead of dropping it. He corrected the error under the guidance of a rules official, avoiding any penalty in the process. Fans were not impressed, calling for immediate disqualification. Regardless of what you thought of the incident, it did showcase the type of laissez faire approach to rules that would land him in hot water at this year’s Open Championship (more on that a little later).
3. The Brooksy Feud: Two American icons engage in childish tit-for-tat
This ‘feud’ is like a forgotten story-arc in Mean Girls. The whole saga originated at the 2019 Dubai Desert Classic, where Koepka publicly called into question DeChambeau’s agonizingly slow play (he was not unlike Patrick Cantlay in the early days). DeChambeau responded in typically mature fashion, mocking Koepka’s physique during a January 2020 Twitch livestream. The feud went viral in 2021, after footage emerged of Koepka rolling his eyes in DeChambeau’s presence. The rivalry invaded the fandom, with Koepka supporters loudly shouting ‘Brooksy’ to get under DeChambeau’s skin (Koepka apparently bought beers for fans that were ejected). The two buried the hatchet during USA’s Ryder Cup triumph at Whistling Straits, later solidifying their newfound respect for each other on the LIV Tour. But the pathetic, high-school nature of the rivalry lives long in the memory.
2. The LIV defection: DeChambeau takes the bag
I had to include the unforgivable sin. Bryson’s defection to LIV was as dramatic as it was utterly predictable. A rebel at heart, DeChambeau enjoys flaunting convention (and I’m sure he enjoyed the $125 million signing-on fee). DeChambeau became the de facto face of the breakaway organization, elevating himself into new, as-yet uncharted villain territory. DeChambeau has been the LIV Tour’s most persistent major threat, claiming the 2024 US Open title while picking up five further top 10’s between in the last three years. The news that the Saudi’s are cutting loose from the entire LIV project has set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons, prompting DeChambeau to state that he may just exist in the YouTube space for a while. Trust Bryson to be the major needle-mover of the tour that tried to break the back of professional golf.
1. The R&A VS Bryson: DeChambeau spirals after two-shot penalty
Which takes us to our latest (and in my opinion greatest) moment of controversy. I don’t think I need to get into too much detail about the Bryson-induced melodrama that threatened to overshadow this year’s entire Open Championship. He was adjudged to have accidentally improved the condition of his backswing when addressing his ball in the rough. It was a contentious decision that elicited wildly different reactions. But the reason this gets the top spot goes far beyond questions of legality. DeChambeau has been accused of threatening to call good buddy Trump over the entire infraction, evoking the recent World Cup’s Balogun fiasco. If that’s true, it would represent a new low for the golfing heavyweight. The whole debacle had a vaguely Trumpian vibe to it. He sucked up all the tournament’s oxygen from Friday night through Saturday, wallowing in his cocoon of self-righteous victimhood. The main character energy is strong with this one.
