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Bryson DeChambeau – Is He Trying To Go Too Fast, Too Soon?

By Elizabeth Bethel

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 20: Amateur Bryson DeChambeau of the United States hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 20, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 20: Amateur Bryson DeChambeau of the United States hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 20, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Despite tremendous promise, why isn’t Bryson DeChambeau achieving PGA TOUR prominence?

Bryson DeChambeau has missed another PGA Tour cut, but he’s been a man in a hurry since he won the 2015 NCAA and US Amateur Championships. Therein lies the problem.

DeChambeau was only the fifth player to capture both titles in the same year. That achievement positioned him nicely to start a long and successful pro golf career, alongside the young Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickleson, Tiger Woods, and Ryan Moore.

2015 – A Rising Star

By the summer of 2015 we were all looking at DeChambeau as the most likely challenger to Jordan Spieth’s rising star and Tiger’s unbreakable records. His full wardrobe of Payne Stewart caps, his bag of unique clubs, his boyish grin, and cocky attitude appealed to the fans. Sports management folks and potential sponsors viewed him as a hot property.

Those NCAA and US Amateur wins punched the Southern Methodist University rising senior’s ticket to the 2016 Masters, US Open, and The Open Championship. But NCAA sanctions against SMU that had nothing to do with Bryson DeChambeau put a kink in his plans. Barred by those sanctions from competing in post-season competition, DeChambeau faced a tough choice. He could finish his senior year at SMU without defending his NCAA Championship and still be qualified to compete as an amateur in the 2016 majors. Alternatively, he could forgo his senior year, turn pro, and take his chances.

2016 – Up, and Then Down

DeChambeau took a middle road. Rightly or wrongly, he quit school and spent several months playing as an amateur in PGA and European Tour events on sponsor invites. He described that period as a “pro golf internship.” He played the 2016 Masters, where he earned low amateur honors, turned pro that Sunday, and made his professional debut the following week at the RBC Heritage.

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To make a long story short, despite his initial splash on the pro circuit, DeChambeau didn’t earn enough to capture that coveted PGA TOUR card. He dropped back to the Web.com Tour, captured his first pro victory at the DAP Championship, and then climbed back up into the PGA ranks.

But DeChambeau can’t seem to stay focused on the business at hand, defined in pro golf as playing on Sunday.

Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut at the Safeway Open in October, the RSM Classic in November, and the Career Builder Challenge in January.

After the Career Builder he hopped on a plane, flew to Orlando, did his thing at the PGA Show, hopped on another plane and flew back to the West Coast to play the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Here’s The Problem

DeChambeau arrived at Torrey Pines at about midnight this past Monday. He played the Pro-Am Tuesday, and then talked the Torrey Pines staff into turning on the lights in the practice area so he could hit some balls. He had a new putter in his bag. The center-shafted putter that he had been using to putt in a weird sort of sidesaddle stance had been ruled nonconforming. And he was tweaking his swing path. One night on the range under the lights wasn’t enough to put him in contention.

I wasn’t surprised to see DeChambeau miss the cut at the Farmers. That’s the 9th missed cut in his last 16 PGA starts.

Bryson DeChambeau needs to slow down and focus on golf. Right now he can’t afford the luxury of a celebrity lifestyle. He needs to focus on securing his place on the PGA TOUR and on realizing the promise of his potentially extraordinary athleticism.

Next: What's Holding Tiger Back?

Even though Tiger, too, missed the cut this week, he offers a powerful model for Bryson DeChambeau. Tiger has been focusing on his game and I have no doubt that he’ll continue to do so with discipline, and diligence. Mr. DeChambeau would do well to follow his example.

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