PARAMUS, N.J. – At our lowest ebbs we can learn the most. It is one of many philosophies Bryson DeChambeau believes in. And one of just a few he will share with you. And it was some recent low moments that ultimately catapulted him to his third PGA TOUR win at THE NORTHERN TRUST – a four-shot demolition job done with relative ease. Last month DeChambeau was captured by cameras during one of his usual lengthy range sessions after his first round at The Open Championship. But this time was different. This time, the tinkering he has already become famous for, wasn’t working. This time DeChambeau cracked. He hurled his clubs. He slumped down with head in hands. He appeared a broken young man. Now anyone who has played this game can understand the frustration. But it was still jarring to see the talented youngster, not far removed from his second PGA TOUR victory at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, looking so distraught. It just fed into the narrative around the guy who plays single length irons, thinks in standard deviations and talks variables like barometric pressure when discussing a yardage. He’s the mad scientist. DeShambles … The crazy one … He’s heard all the names others come up with to describe a guy who is ultimately just trying to break down the physics of the game. He’s different. And he knows it. And he embraces it. Some people have trouble handling different. But he’s true to himself. “Crazy is a relative term,â€� he says “Everybody is unique in their own way and some people work harder for longer hours than others. You can say what I do is crazy, but at the end of the day, I’m the one with the trophy this week.â€� Touché. And this trophy puts him in pole position to grab another. The FedExCup. But more on the recent lean times. DeChambeau believes he is not the most talented player out there. But he also knows that talent goes so far … hard work goes further. He refuses to be outworked. “I feel like I’ve always had to work twice as hard to be just as good as others,â€� he says. The long sessions at Carnoustie appeared to bear fruit soon after when he led the European Open by a shot with four holes to play. Instead, his range meltdown was rivaled by a swing meltdown under the pressure down the stretch and he dropped five shots coming in to lose the tournament. Tough pill to swallow. Outsiders saw it as proof of weakness. Proof his unorthodox methods can’t always hold up. DeChambeau took it as knowledge. “That struggle is what led me to this point. That’s the thing that people sometimes miss is the fact that those moments … when you’re at your — relatively speaking, lowest, are the times when you can learn the most,â€� he says. “Even though I have hiccups every once in a while, those are great experiences I can learn from. “Even though it was a tough time, I was able to push through it.â€� When asked after 54 holes this week – where he set up a four-shot lead – if the European incident would be a problem on Sunday … DeChambeau said no. “If somehow something breaks down, I think I’ll have a better understanding of how to bring it back, and that’s really what I’ve learned from that situation,â€� he said. On Sunday he bogeyed the ninth hole and got a little loose for a bit. And then he had some self-inflicted adversity as he tried to drive the par-4 12th but came up just short … a result he couldn’t fathom. But before going south he realized the chip shot represented an opportunity to prove his work had merit. “The chip shot on 12, really defined the tournament for me,â€� he says. “That was the most difficult chip shot I had all week. And to be able to execute that under the gun, with the situation at hand where I was kind of leaking back, showed a lot in regard to my own confidence level, and what I can do under the pressure at hand. “It’s being able to step up to a shot … and executing it exactly the way I wanted to. That’s what brings me joy and that’s why I work so hard.â€� DeChambeau hit what he called a stab and jab – to four feet – and made birdie. While the chasers got within two at one point, they wouldn’t get near him again. “That definitely paid off this week, just a little shot right there. I mean, it mattered, tremendously,â€� he said. “I was out practicing it all day, even though that was the only shot I hit, that type of shot that I hit this week, it mattered the most.â€� Indeed even after a blistering 8-under 63 in the third round, and after several long media commitments, he went back to the range. Nothing gets in the way of the work. “63 … It’s not birdieing every hole, so there’s always room for improvement. Even if you shoot 59, there’s been guys this year, Brandt … he bogeyed a hole. Albeit 59 is fantastic, we’re always looking to improve no matter what,â€� he adds. “It’s been a lot of hard work this past month. It’s not been seamless. I’ve been grinding and working really, really hard on my golf swing. If Bryson keeps improving he might not be a lone wolf pushing the science of the swing much longer. Perhaps crazy will be the new normal.
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