Bryson DeChambeau’s Relentless Practice Routine at the Masters Pays Off

Bryson DeChambeau’s Tireless Practice Routine at the Masters

Welcome to Augusta, Georgia, where the 89th Masters is in full swing, and one player is making headlines not just for his performance on the course but for his relentless work ethic off it. Bryson DeChambeau, known for his analytical approach to golf, is once again proving that hard work and dedication can pay off in the most prestigious tournaments.

After opening the tournament with a solid 3-under 69, DeChambeau found himself four strokes behind the leader, Justin Rose. But instead of resting on his laurels, DeChambeau headed straight to the practice area at Augusta National Golf Club, where he hit another 150 balls. This is just a fraction of the more than 800 balls he has hit since arriving at the course on Tuesday. To put that into perspective, that’s about three times as many as Rory McIlroy and four times as many as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

So, what exactly is DeChambeau working on? “It was just my iron play, trying to get my stock draw in there,” he explained. “Felt like I was leaving the face open a little bit, so [I] worked on some sequencing stuff, some face angle stuff.” At one point, he was even seen doing an upper-cut exercise that resembled a topspin shot in ping-pong. “That’s just what I want to feel in my golf swing,” he added.

All that hard work seemed to pay off during his second round on Friday. DeChambeau finally felt the sensation he was looking for on the fifth hole, which helped him post a 68, leaving him just one stroke behind leader Rose with a 36-hole total of 7 under. On the par-3 fourth hole, he pulled his tee shot into a left greenside bunker but managed to hole out from 36 feet for his second birdie of the round. Then, on the par-4 fifth, he ripped a 359-yard drive down the right side of the fairway, knocked his approach to 8 feet, and made another birdie to move to 3 under.

DeChambeau, who is also the LIV Golf League captain, made another birdie by reaching the par-5, 570-yard eighth hole in two and two-putting from 20 feet. “On the fifth hole, I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to feel something that’s a little different,'” he said. “And lo and behold, I think I just started to integrate more of an up-and-down motion, and that just felt more comfortable to me.”

He then carded seven straight pars after the eighth hole, including a pair of important up-and-downs on Nos. 10 and 11. According to DataGolf.com, he gained more than three strokes on the field around the green and nearly two strokes putting on Friday. “I was able to save this round with my wedges and some huge key putts,” DeChambeau said. “Getting up-and-down on 10 was one of the better up-and-downs of my life.”

His only bogey of the round came on the par-3 16th, when he left his tee shot short and left of the green. However, he bounced back with a 19-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th.

DeChambeau’s journey at the Masters has been a rollercoaster. After missing two straight cuts, his breakthrough came last year. He had a one-shot lead over Scheffler after the first round and shared the lead with Scheffler and Max Homa after the second. But then, disaster struck when he hit a ball into the water on No. 15 and made a double-bogey in the third round. He trailed Scheffler by four strokes after 54 holes and finished tied for sixth at 2 under.

“You have to put yourself in position,” DeChambeau said. “You have to fail. You have to lose. You have to win. You have to come from behind. You have to hold the lead. All those expectations and feelings have to get conquered in your mind. That’s why this game is played between your ears.”

And so, DeChambeau was back at the practice area on Friday. About two hours after his round ended, he had already hit another 115 balls for the day. He mentioned that he’ll probably go through 15 to 20 swing thoughts during a range session and about 100 in a week at tournaments. “Maybe more sometimes, if I’m really trying to find something,” he said. “I’ve got a lot going on up in there. You wouldn’t want to be in there.”

• DeChambeau’s relentless practice routine is a testament to his dedication.
• His analytical approach to the game sets him apart from other players.
• Despite past setbacks, he remains focused on improving and succeeding.