It’s With A Heavy Heart I Must Inform That I’m Now A Bryson DeChambeau Fan

Since about the time Bryson DeChambeau hit the PGA Tour like a freight train up until Sunday at the PGA Championship you would be hard-pressed to find a bigger Bryson hater than me. I’m here to admit it. I’m here to apologize and take it all back, everything except for my comments on the flat cap hats he wore as a tribute to Ben Hogan and Payne Stewart.

Here are two recent texts I screenshot and put on top of each other/cropped my friends out for privacy, and I’m sorry for this, Bryson. I really am. You won’t find me drinking the DeChambeau-flavored Haterade ever again. I might even by a Crushers GC hat as penance.

As late as Saturday during the PGA Championship I was grasping at straws, trying to find any reason at all to keep being a hater because I was so set in my ways, but the man has finally won me over. I’d stayed impartial with media coverage but as a golf fan, I was the ultimate hater. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when Bryson DeChambeau tossed a young kid a golf ball and it got intercepted by an adult. Bryson doubled back and ensured the ball was given to the kid:

Great moment from Bryson dechambeau, he tossed a kid his ball after #9 that gets intercepted by an older man and waits until it gets back in the right hands pic.twitter.com/NgxfwwVgwZ

— anthony (@asreynolds24)

Twitter

An absolute class act. Again, I’m the hater. Bryson DeChambeau’s a good guy. I now see this.

Then as Xander Schauffele was coming down 18 and Bryson was watching a live feed on the range while hitting balls in preparation of a potential playoffs, this moment happened… Bryson watching Xander sink the birdie putt on 18 for the win:

The final putt from another perspective. @NoLayingUp pic.twitter.com/2mKNrkHrcz

— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg)

Twitter

What did he do after that? He marched straight over to Xander Schauffele to congratulate him on a win. Until Xander sunk that putt, Bryson DeChambeau had finished the lowest of any golfer in major championship history. He held the record for less than 20 minutes. But he marched straight over to Xander and congratulated him in defeat.

Is it too early for me to get a ‘Crushers GC For Life’ tat?

After congratulating Xander face-to-face, Bryson then went to his post-round press conference where he sung Xander’s praises:

Pure class from Bryson DeChambeau as he tips his cap towards the winner of the PGA Championship Xander Schauffele, "I'm proud of Xander for finally getting the job done. He's an amazing golfer & well deserved major champion." #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/hllG1JdYNp

— Chris McKee (@mrmckee)

Twitter

Of course, the things that always bothered me about Bryson surfaced in the press conference. DeChambeau claimed he only had his ‘B Game’ despite turning in the second best score in major championship history. His full quote was:

Bryson DeChambeau: “On my side of the coin, disappointing, but, whatever. I played well. Didn’t strike it my best all week. Felt like I had my ‘B’ game pretty much. My putting was A+, my wedging was A+, short game was A+, driving was like B.”

A quote like that a year or two ago would have had me shaking my head at Bryson but something’s changed. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet but he’s won me over. Long gone are the days of him feuding with my fellow FSU alumnus Brooks Koepka which had me defensive of a fellow Seminole. And long gone are the days of Bryson wearing those obnoxious old-timey hats.

In the press conference, Bryson DeChambeau had this to say about Schauffele: “Proud of Xander finally getting the job done. he’s a great human being and and unbelievable golfer.”

Bryson just had the Wanamaker Trophy figuratively wrested out of his hands by Xander on 18 yet there he was singing Xander’s praises. The LIV Golf team aspect has changed him. It’s made him be able to root for his fellow golfers in a way that was never seen during his PGA Tour days.

The ability to show joy when one of his competitors does something amazing was probably the final piece in the puzzle of turning me into a Bryson fan. He’s no longer this engineering-minded golfer living on an island. He’s truly assimilated and ingratiated himself into the game.

Bryson, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry for being such a hater for all these years and I’m really happy for you that you’ve found your lane to thrive. And congratulations on the 2nd place PGA finish for $1.998M and moving from 124th to 35th in the world with those OWGR points.

The post It’s With A Heavy Heart I Must Inform That I’m Now A Bryson DeChambeau Fan appeared first on BroBible.