Bryson DeChambeau’s win at LIV Golf South Africa was not just about the result. The American was seen in tears on the 18th green, and it was clear there was something more behind it. When asked later, he admitted there were a few things weighing on him.
DeChambeau had just beaten Jon Rahm in a playoff after both finished at 26 under, picking up back-to-back titles. But even after the win was done, the emotions did not settle.
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“Just a lot of emotion. Numerous things. Stuff I can’t talk about, stuff I’m not going to talk about and then stuff that I can talk about, which is obviously my dad. It’s been a few years now, and I think it’s time for people to see that I’m not just a scientific robot guy. I care a lot. I have a lot of passion. I care about the game. I care about people watching. I care about entertaining. I care about my team. I care about pretty much everything in life,” Bryson DeChambeau said.
His father, Jon DeChambeau, passed away in November 2022 after dealing with health issues for a long time. It is something that still stays with him, especially in moments like this.
“When you have moments in life that aren’t easy, it’s really nice to have had a father that can give you that perseverance and that wisdom to say, don’t quit. Don’t ever quit. You’ve just got to keep going.”
He also shared that it had already started during the round. A moment with a fan on the 16th hole got to him as he was walking to the tee.
“There was another moment on 16 that happened with a fan out there that did something to me that made me literally cry as I was walking up to the 16th tee. That’s when the storm got really heavy, and it just gave me that perseverance and that gratitude to go, you know what, no matter what happens I’m going to be okay.”
Bryson DeChambeau did not go into full detail about everything he is dealing with, but he did say it goes beyond just golf.
“There’s more to life than just golf. It honestly relaxed me a lot in that moment. It was getting difficult. It was getting tough, and it was brutal. That emotion was a lot of built-up, pent-up. I wish I could tell you guys, but I can’t. There’s just a lot going on.
“It’s just been tough. Life is not easy sometimes. Losing my dad wasn’t easy. Going through what I’m going through isn’t easy. But everybody has it, and that’s why I’ve such a great team here to give me a lot.”
The win itself adds to his run on LIV Golf. It is his fifth title on the circuit, and it also gives Crushers GC another team win, making them the most successful side in the league so far.
Bryson DeChambeau now heads to Augusta National for the Masters in a few weeks, coming in with form but also carrying a lot from this week.
How Bryson DeChambeau won in South Africa
The way Bryson DeChambeau finished the week matched the emotion that followed. He went up against Jon Rahm in a playoff after both finished at 26 under. On the first extra hole, the par 5 18th, Brsyon DeChambeau missed the fairway left but still went for it. He hit a 3 wood from 295 yards to about 12 feet. Meanwhile, Rahm missed from 15 feet and DeChambeau cleaned it up with a two putt to end it.
It could have gone the other way just before that. On the 72nd hole, he had to get up and down to save par and stay tied. Rahm had already posted 63 with six birdies and an eagle, and had the pressure on.
Bryson DeChambeau’s round was different. He carded 66 without a bogey even though he parred his last eight holes.
Even in the playoff things were not straightforward. His drive ended up in a muddy lie but he got relief and said it left him in a “great lie” which allowed him to go for the green.
“I’m still pulling that dang driver,” Bryson DeChambeau said later. “I need to fix that.”
Across the week, he put together rounds of 63, 65, 66 and 64 to reach 26 under. It is his second win of the season, following his victory in Singapore last weekend, though Rahm still holds the top spot in the standings with a win and three runner-up finishes.
Edited by Sonali Verma
