If You're Still Not A Bryson Guy After This Weekend, You Have A Gargantuan Sized Dump In Your Pants
David Cannon. Getty Images.I've never fully understood the amount of hate that Bryson has gotten in the world of golf. He's different, so I get he's not for everyone. Maybe he wasn't always the easiest guy to root for, but I just never understood rooting against him. If anything, the biggest issue with Bryson is the media constantly talking about how far he hits each of his irons without mentioning how strong they're lofted. I mean, sure, the guy could be a massive dork at times. He might not be high up on your list of pro golfers you'd love to grab a drink with. But he's the perfect level of "what's this guy's deal?" for golf. Just an absolute maniac who wants to hit the piss out of the ball, play with some crazy clubs, and add literally any sort of interest into the sport as opposed to the most vanilla guys imaginable like Wyndham Clark.
But for some reason, people just hated the guy. Deep down inside, most people want to be liked. You can talk all you want about how much the opinions of others don't bother you, but it's not true for like…99% of people in the world. You want to be liked, or at the very least you don't want to be hated. So Bryson took a look in the mirror over the past year or so, made some adjustments to his social interactions, doesn't seem to come off quite as egotistical anymore, and even added a little self-awareness to how much of a nerd he can be about the game of golf.
Self-awareness is key in life. And over the last few months, it seems like the court of public opinion has been swinging more towards Bryson's direction. Not a complete 180 just yet, but definitely more people are coming around on him than a few years ago when every dude who had a man crush on Brooks Koepka wanted to ruthlessly shit on the guy every time he teed it up. After this weekend, though, it seems like it would be impossible to hate Bryson.
Final round of the US Open and he's spending more time thinking about the fans between holes than his next tee shot. You have guys like Rory--and I'm a massive Rory guy--who can't even knock down 2 and a half footers because they are so nervy coming down the stretch. Meanwhile, Bryson is signing autographs and making sure everyone gets involved out there. And yeah, he might have had a few rough shots sprinkled in there during that round. But when it came time to clutch up and hit a signature shot to help define his career, the dude pulled through.
The original slight on all the guys who left the PGA Tour to go to LIV was that they didn't actually care about golf. All they cared about was money and their own image. But it's hard to imagine Bryson doesn't care about golf when you saw the emotion from him after sticking that bunker shot and then dropping the putt. It's hard to imagine Bryson doesn't care about golf and the fans after he stuck around for hours after the tournament wrapped up to make sure everyone got a chance to touch the trophy.
This guy gets it. Hits the ball farther than fuck, clutches up, takes time to show appreciation to the fans, is American, and although he's still a nerd he's not a total dork about it anymore. If somehow you still hate Bryson DeChambeau after this weekend, then that's a you problem.
P.S. -- Rory better hop back on the PJ today and fly to wherever to shake Bryson's hand.