Rejuvenated Bryson DeChambeau details “ultimate goal”

He might only be one quarter of the way there – and unable to make any further inroads this week – but Bryson DeChambeau has his sights set on completing the career grand slam before his career is done.

The 30-year-old, a winner of the US Open at Winged Foot in 2020, goes into this week’s championship at Pinehurst as one of the favourites to win following stand-out performances in the first two majors of the year.

LIV man DeChambeau finished in a tie for sixth at The Masters before coming within a shot of winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla last month.

As he prepares to try to add to his one major victory, the rejuvenated American revealed that he plans to join golf’s most exclusive club before he hangs up the clubs for good.

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“I’m hopefully going to complete the career grand slam,” he said. “That’s my ultimate goal.

“I tried to get that second leg done at Valhalla. It didn’t happen, but just knowing that I could compete, especially shooting 64 on Sunday, I gave it my all and left it all out there, so I feel really confident with my game in ‘under pressure situations’, which is great.”

To date, only five players have completed the career grand slam of men’s majors. Phil Mickelson has a chance to become the sixth this week.

For so long one of the game’s most maligned players, DeChambeau appears to have turned something of a corner in terms of his relationship with golf fans.

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“The fans [at Valhalla] were great,” he added. “Seeing and feeding off the fans was a lot of fun.”

He added: “I still feel like I’m that same kid that came out here right out of the start, but I feel like, as a person, I’m just different to interact with. Ever since I got my equipment changed last year, my whole life dramatically changed.

“My dad passing gave me a great perspective on life, too. They say that, every five years, somebody’s life changes, and it couldn’t be more true.

“I’m a completely different person than I was back at Winged Foot. There’s remnants. I’ve still got a lot of the same cells but I’m definitely different in the brain, for sure.”

DeChambeau gets his US Open title tilt under way on Thursday in the company of Viktor Hovland and Max Homa.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor