Bryson DeChambeau was off to a better start to this year’s US Open, but he’s still far from his best.
The two-time winner of golf’s toughest test shot even par through 18 holes, far better than what he accomplished at The Masters and the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut.
DeChambeau has not been able to recapture the form he showed at the 2024 US Open. His accuracy with his irons and his finesse with his wedges have left much to be desired, and that has exposed him at the biggest events of the year.
Andrew Coltart seems to know exactly why that is.
Andrew Coltart criticizes Bryson DeChambeau for what he did on the second hole at the US Open
On the par three second hole at Shinnecock, playing into the wind, DeChambeau tried to hammer a five-iron onto the green. It came up well short, and he was left with an incredibly difficult up-and-down for par.
In the very next group, Gary Woodland hit a two-iron. He’s one of the longest hitters on tour, and definitely not three clubs shorter than DeChambeau.
That caused Coltart to criticize the two-time US Open winner’s strategy on Sky Sports: “Woodland is hitting two iron. Now Woodland is the longest on the regular tour in the game. He has ball speeds of over 190mph with a driver and he’s going in with a two iron.
What shocked you the most on day one?
“Yet Bryson is trying to crunch a five iron. You are telling me that Bryson is four clubs longer than the longest man on Tour?
“Bryson has won this two times. The guy is a huge talent but I can’t help thinking he is just trying to muller everything. If it works, it’s fine, but it’s a game of percentages.
“Three iron for Wyndham Clark. That just says the only way for Bryson to get at it with the equipment he’s got is to absolutely go at it, 100%, and leave nothing behind. I’m not sure you can do that with every club in the bag.
“Sometimes there has to be a little bit of finesse, there’s got to be taking things off or adding things on.”
Why Bryson DeChambeau hitting a five-iron isn’t as it seems
In truth, DeChambeau’s five-iron is only a five because of the number on the club. It’s more like Woodland’s two-iron than a typical five.
All of his clubs have the same length shaft, so even his wedges are as long as most players’ long irons. And in addition to that, his clubs have less loft than most players’, so his five-iron goes much farther than you would expect.
But where Coltart is right is that he does hit most of his shots at 100% power. There is very little artistry to his game. That’s because his entire philosophy is built around creating a repeatable swing. If all his clubs are the same length, then he doesn’t need to adjust his technique.
This causes him real issues around golf courses like Shinnecock. Because DeChambeau hits the ball so hard, they launch high in the sky with a lot of swing. He doesn’t have the ability to fly it low and keep it out of the wind. That’s why he suffered as places like Shinnecock.
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