“You can’t Bryson-proof a golf course” – Bryson DeChambeau

Bryson DeChambeau says that no matter what way a golf course is set up, the big-hitters will always be at an advantage.

DeChambeau, 27, blasted his way to victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he sealed his eighth PGA Tour victory and his third since packing on the pounds at the end of 2019.

On both the Saturday and the Sunday at Bay Hill, the US Open champ took a line directly over the water at the 565-yard, dog-leg par-5 sixth hole. He successfully cleared the required carry of 340 yards, pummelling his drives over 370 yards on both occasions.

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The Californian’s actions, which sparked wild celebrations by the fans in attendance at the sixth hole at the weekend, once again has people questioning how to solve the issue of distance.

DeChambeau, himself, feels that whatever way course designers or tournament organisers set up a golf course, it will be the players who hit it longest that are going to benefit.

“I don’t think you can Bryson-proof a golf course,” said DeChambeau in the wake of his Bay Hill victory. 

“Whatever way you look at it, even if you tighten the fairways up and you make water across the fairway and you have to lay up and everything, you’re just putting everybody in the same place.

“No matter what, if we’re playing from the fairway, I’m always going to have a shorter club in, if we’re playing from the same spot. So, I really wouldn’t know how to do so.”

DeChambeau successfully held off a challenge from England’s Lee Westwood, who averaged almost 30 yards shorter than him off the tee over the course of the tournament. The American battled to 11-under par, which was just enough to see off 47-year-old Westwood, who shot one-over during his final round.

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“Lee played unbelievable golf today,” added DeChambeau.  “He struck it beautifully, hit a lot of fairways, and that’s one way to play. Another way to play is bomb it all the way up there and gouge it out of the rough.

“But I would say it plays into my hands from a statistics point of view and a strokes gained point of view. If you make the fairways super narrow, where nobody is really hitting the fairway, the longest is going to win. If you make the fairways super wide where everybody can hit the fairways, the longest is always going to win. So, no matter what, those two situations, the long players are always going to have the better advantage.”