Bryson DeChambeau has moved into the lead this Friday at the LIV Golf South Africa after carding a second round of 65 to sit alone at -14. Shortly after he offered a remark that sounds like a warning to rivals a few days before the Masters at Augusta: he feels he is getting back to the form that allowed him to shoot that 58 at Greenbrier.
For DeChambeau, that 58 was not just an extraordinary round, but the time he felt best with his swing in his entire career. And now, after a period of searching and technical adjustments, he says he is once again recognising very similar sensations.
“I feel like I’m getting back to when I shot 58 at Greenbrier. That’s what I’ve been trying to recover. I lost it a bit, we’ve been working to figure out exactly what I did there in 2023 and I feel like I’m getting close again”, he explained.
Bryson went even further explaining why that round meant so much to him, even more than his two major wins at the US Open. “I hit it much better at Greenbrier than at the US Open”, he said. And he added: “I’ve never in my whole career had a better swing. I remember stepping up on the tee and not thinking about anything; the ball did exactly what I was seeing. It was like a video game”.
That’s precisely the state he’s chasing. If there’s one thing this player does continuously it’s search, search and search. His goal is to win, of course, but he also wants to feel he has absolute control of the ball. “I always try to be a better ball-striker, better putter, better around the greens… I’m always trying to get back to feeling what I felt in those moments. When you get to that place, it’s as if nothing else matters”, he noted.
His round this Friday again showed clear signs of that level, just days after winning in Singapore. He began the round with a fantastic shot at the 1st, where he holed out from a very delicate position to the right of the green. In fact, he admits there was a bit of luck. “I was only thinking of hitting it a little to the left, a little long, leaving myself a four-metre putt for birdie and not doing anything crazy. But in the end I felt I could hit it harder and push it toward the hole… and I made it”, he recounted.
From there, DeChambeau kept building a very solid round in an atmosphere that has him completely fascinated. The American said South Africa has exceeded all his expectations and that the atmosphere in Steyn City already reminds him of a big Sunday. “Walking the 18th already felt like a Sunday, and it was only Friday. I’m looking forward to what the weekend brings”, he said.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Bryson isn’t changing the plan. “I just want to hit the ball better and make more putts. I’m focused on my game and on giving myself a chance over the final nine holes on Sunday”, he summed up.
