With Apologies, Humility, and an Insane Amount of Practice Shots, Bryson DeChambeau is on an Absolute Mission at the Masters

This golden moment from last year - when Bryson DeChambeau put one into the trees and rather than take the safe, easy chip back to the short grass everyone does, decided instead to move the entire gallery and pull the sign out of the ground like Steve Rogers lifting Thor's hammer - notwithstanding, he has not had a great experience at his seven career trips to the Masters. He's only had one finish in the Top 25, and one score of under par.

His 2020 trip is particularly famous for being the time he did the one thing no human being is allowed to do. Not in golf. Not in life. He committed the unpardonable sin of disrespecting Augusta National:

Instead of shooting 67s, he went 70-74-69-73=286 to finish 1-over, tied for 34th.

But that was a different time. And, it's safe to say, a different DeChambeau. Jacked out of his skin. Uber-confident to the point of arrogance. Antagonistic. The closest thing golf has ever had to a wrestling heel. So it's no surprise the golf gods did what gods have been doing since the Ancient Greeks: They punished him for his hubris and made him humble. In the Masters that followed he finished tied for 46th at +5 and missed the next two cuts. 

It wasn't until last year when a clearly changed, more deferential, down-to-earth DeChambeau showed up, bent the knee to Augusta, and had his best showing by far, a 6th place, 2-under par. Making it pretty clear he learned his lesson about what you can and cannot say about the Holy Land at the end of Magnolia Lane. 

The Telegraph - "I’ve always since said I don’t regret saying that 67 thing, because I learned from that experience, and it made me a better person. But do I wish I hadn’t said it? I do. Really, I do. Because it impacted some people negatively and I don’t want that, no matter how much of a benefit it might have been to me maturing. I can see that it was disrespectful to some and I’m sorry for that. Boy, it was a humbling experience." 

This is 2025 Bryson. As reverent as a monk and penitent enough to get through Indiana Jones booby traps:

And probably more importantly, setting records at the practice range that may never be broken. At least not by anyone not named Bryson DeChambeau:

So 240 shots on Monday and 393 (!!!) on Tuesday means 633 practice shots in a span of 48 hours. I know that's an 18-hole round for you,

… but that's simply an astonishing number. Between genuflecting around the grounds he once blasphemed and pulling an ultra-marathon at the practice tees, Bryson is approaching the 2025 Masters like a Spartan warrior going into battle. There's other guys I like in this tournament, and I wouldn't hate to see Rory McIlroy finally complete his career Grand Slam. I just don't see how anyone beats a guy as laser focused and determined as he is right now. 

On the other hand, if he does win the Green Jacket, it'll be a testament to how hard work pays off. It'll prove insane amounts of practice makes perfect. Which will be bad for lazy people everywhere who prefer halfassing things and putting in no effort. Which would be bad. Either way, DeChambeau has already made himself the story of this tournament. He can't tee it up soon enough for my liking.