PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Bryson DeChambeau didn’t go on an all-night rager after winning last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, didn’t hit the clubs and dance the night away, didn’t jet off to Las Vegas.
Instead, the big kid at heart celebrated by downing chocolate milk, eating Arnold Palmer gummies containing iced tea and lemonade, and playing some pinball. Had a bit of champagne, too, eyed some of the King’s memorabilia.
So, no, DeChambeau doesn’t do hangovers. Instead, he was in bed by 11 and up-and-at them early Monday morning to begin preparation for this week’s Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
“It’s been a quick turnaround,” said DeChambeau, who was on the TPC Sawgrass range by Monday afternoon and worked on his swing past sundown. “I’ve got to get focused for this and figure out the best strategy this week and how I can best navigate the golf course.”
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He also was likely a bit tired to pull an all-nighter after being inspired to victory by a text exchange with Tiger Woods and winning his idol’s tournament. For four days he was the Big Show at Bay Hill, playing to the crowd and uncorking drives that left many in awe. Try the 375 to 390 yards range. He also showed he has more than brute strength as he called upon his superb precision and top-notch putting in becoming the first multiple winner of the season and notching his eighth PGA Tour title.
Now the world No. 6 and reigning U.S. Open champion has to tackle one of the strongest fields in golf and Pete Dye’s diabolical TPC Sawgrass and its assortment of water hazards, sharp edges and puzzling greens. While he might not unleash with his driver more than six times a round and drive across a lake as he did twice last week at Bay Hill’s par-5 6th, he can still overpower the course with his metal woods and long irons.
“I just can’t bomb it out there. You have to put the ball in play and there’s a few holes where you can take advantage, from a length perspective, but for the most part, the par-4s you’ve got to hit it in play and you’ve got to have great iron play this week,” he said. “So that’s what I’m really focused on. If I can get my iron play down this week and my wedges down this week, I’ll have a great chance to win with my putting.”
He’s also hauling a bunch of confidence after winning at Arnie’s place. While he told a reporter on Monday he won with his “C” game, DeChambeau downplayed that boast on Tuesday.
“By no means am I trying to cause anything by (“C” talk), other than saying that I just was not hitting my best the way I wanted to last week,” DeChambeau said. “From my perspective I just didn’t feel like I had it all. But I was still able to play golf and win a golf tournament, which is great. If anything my driving didn’t feel great. My putting was obviously, I’d give it an “A,” but my iron play was just not where I wanted it to be, and my expectation levels are really high.”
That’s why he’s basically set up shop on the range at TPC Sawgrass. For hours on end, he bangs golf balls into the horizon. But video surfaced Monday of him goofing around on the range, with silly follow-throughs and goofy swings.
Still, even these comical moments are educational to DeChambeau.
“I would say 25 percent is definitely messing around, for sure,” DeChambeau said of his time on the practice ground. “I’m very risk averse when it comes to trying things. It goes along the same lines as me hitting and making weird swings on the golf range and trying to figure out what is this doing, why is that doing that and why is the ball flight like that, because of this motion.
It’s like free-hand painting almost. I’m just trying to figure out what’s working in life and why it is the way it is. And then the other 75 percent I’m working hard on a motion that I believe is accurate.
“That’s the way I do it. I have to keep it light and fun. If I just grind all the time, I’ll definitely not be in the right place mentally if I’m just consistently going at it.”