Bryson DeChambeau kept himself close most of the day at the PGA Championship, but his hole-out for eagle on the par-5 18th put his second major within reach.
Bryson DeChambeau’s “exhilarating” finish has him on brink of PGA Championship glory
Bryson DeChambeau vaulted himself into the mix after he finished his round in a big way at the PGA Championship.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
DeChambeau hit a mind-blowing chip that dropped into the hole, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was one of the loudest moments on the course all day long.
Not to mention, his fist pump celebration was a memorable one.
“Exhilarating. I haven’t felt like that in a long time,” DeChambeau said.
“The only other time I felt like it was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier. That was pretty exciting there. I was pretty pumped.”
Dechambeau totaled a 4-under 67 on moving day to jump up the leaderboard and into contention. Dechambeau, Shane Lowry, and Viktor Hovland, who shot a bogey-free 66, all sit tied at 13-under.
The LIV Golf captain could become the second straight player from the Saudi-backed circuit to win the PGA Championship after Brooks Koepka did so at Oak Hill last year.
DeChambeau has a lot of momentum and likes his position on the leaderboard.
Through 54 holes, he has hit 40-of-54 greens in regulation. Not to mention, the former SMU Mustang sits in fourth place in total strokes gained, picking up 11.9 on the field.
Around the greens, he has picked up 3.6 shots, ranking seventh among the remaining players.
“Got to keep strategizing around this golf course and putting the golf ball in the right areas, but I missed it in the right place and hit a bunch of greens out here,” he said.
“It’s iron play. The key is iron play this week, and I haven’t done my best but got up and down nicely. Man, I made a couple of clutch shots when I needed to.”
DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open after so many thought he would never become a major champion. The 30-year-old was not one of the fan favorites on the PGA Tour.
However, since he left for LIV Golf, the golfer has transformed. His personality blossomed through his YouTube channel and other social media platforms. DeChambeau understands what golf needs to do to grow.
“I‘ve worked hard to have people hopefully understand who I am a little bit better. YouTube has been a great platform to help that out,” DeChambeau said.
“I love doing it. It’s a lot of fun. It keeps my brain fresh and in entertainment mode, and realizing what the game is all about, not for myself and winning money or trophies but entertaining, as well. We all want to win trophies, but being able to entertain the fans is what we’re all here to do, and I think that’s what’s the most important thing.”
That shot on 18 showed off his personality, and the fans around the green gave him a roaring ovation.
He is not the same bulky guy that left the PGA Tour. Instead, DeChambeau appears to have learned a lot and has taken his brand to the next level.
Now, he sits within two strokes of the leaders, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
Will Sunday be the day DeChambeau wins his second career major? Perhaps.
Regardless of what happens, he will begin his final round at 2:15 p.m. ET along with Hovland.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
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