Bryson DeChambeau’s journey has been one of the most intriguing stories in all of sports over the last decade.
He started out as a brash, arrogant young star with bags of potential, but DeChambeau was widely disliked by fans and players alike. He once called Augusta National a “par 67”, one of the many examples of the American’s overconfidence early in his career.
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Since then, he’s grown into one of the most beloved, yet divisive, sportspeople on the planet. The rise of his YouTube channel has made DeChambeau an immensely popular figure, but he still divides fans.
His rivalry with Rory McIlroy is one of the best in golf’s long history, as the pair have traded major championships and off-course jabs. And on the course, there’s no denying DeChambeau’s talent.
He’s a two-time US Open winner and played one of the most famous shots in the sport’s history at Pinehurst No. 2 on the 72nd hole to win the event. Few have grown more than DeChambeau over the years, and Talor Gooch explained what was different about him after playing with him during LIV’s season opener.
Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images
Talor Gooch explains what is ‘different’ about Bryson DeChambeau
Gooch played alongside DeChambeau and new LIV addition Byeong Hun An during his first round of the 2026 LIV season. After the round, he explained what struck him when playing with the two-time major winner.
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He said, ”I forget what hole we were on. We were on the third or fourth hole, and I said to [An], when was the last time you played with Bryson. He’s like, ‘Man, it’s been years.’ I was like, ‘It’s a little different, isn’t it?’ He’s like, ‘Bro’.
“Because the first tee box, I hit 3-wood off the tee, and I had like 120 yards into the hole, and Bryson hit driver like 20 yards short of the hole. Ben was like, ‘I didn’t know where he was hitting it on the – I didn’t know if that was good or not.’ I was like, ‘When he’s driving it, it’s a different ballgame.’
“It’s fun to see, and obviously, everything he does for the game and what he brings to the game is incredible. But as a peer of his, it’s equally as incredible to see specifically just the way he drives the golf ball. It’s unbelievable.”
Even among the pros, DeChambeau is playing a different sport at times. He’s at a level off the tee that Gooch doesn’t think he’ll ever get to.
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He continued, “Yeah, I’m definitely not trying to be Bryson DeChambeau. I will never be that. I know who I am and what my game is. Hey, I can dream. Maybe one day. Maybe one day, but not anytime soon.”
How Bryson DeChambeau got on at his LIV season opener
Much has been made about DeChambeau’s LIV Golf future beyond 2026. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed left LIV for the PGA Tour, and DeChambeau’s contract is up after this year, so there’s a huge question as to where he’ll be playing next season.
But after all the off-course talk, it must have been nice for DeChambeau to get back to golf in his first competitive outing since the Ryder Cup. And it was a solid start!
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DeChambeau was four under par for his opening round under the floodlights of Riyadh. He started poorly, with a double bogey on the second, but six birdies for the rest of his round brought him back into contention.
He’s just three shots off the leading Thomas Detry and Peter Uihlein with three rounds to play.
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