Bryson DeChambeau ‘Like Kid in Candy Shop,’ Advances to Third Round in World Long Drive Competition
While Bryson DeChambeau has acquitted himself extremely well during his first professional long drive competition, actually winning the title at the Professional World Long Drive Association World Championships at the Mesquite Sports and Event Complex in Mesquite, Nev., would still be a shock.
But DeChambeau took another step toward that title by advancing to the final 32 during Wednesday’s second round. For the second straight day, DeChambeau placed second in his group, this time behind a German pro long driver named Martin Borgmeier, who is ranked 9th in the world. DeChambeau’s best drive of the day clocked in at 355 yards.
The odds-on favorite to prevent DeChambeau from a storybook ending is reigning world champion Kyle Berkshire. In round one on Tuesday, Berkshire ripped a drive 455 yards, the longest of the competition and 42 yards longer than Bryson’s best that day.
In Wednesday’s second round, Berkshire cooled off and finished sixth in his group of 16, but the session was competed in windy, difficult conditions. Despite the struggles, Berkshire still hit the longest ball of the morning session at 328 yards. DeChambeau’s group hit in the afternoon during calmer conditions.
Power swing coach Bobby Peterson, also an organizer of the world championships, trains both DeChambeau and Berkshire. Prior to this week’s competition, he correctly predicted that DeChambeau would be competitive, but beating Berkshire, and some of the other top pros like Justin James, Scottie Pearman, Will Hogue and Borgmeier, will still be a huge challenge.
“Kyle is like a unicorn,” Peterson said on the PLDA live stream Wednesday afternoon. “I have been working with Kyle for a few years and people ask me what makes him so fast and I say, ‘Everything he does makes him fast.’ He is dedicated and has a very strong work ethic. He has a great knowledge of the sport and how to apply it. Plus, he gets on one thing that he doesn’t do well and does it over and over until he fixes it. The amazing thing is that there are a lot of great players out there, but can they do it under pressure? He can.”
DeChambeau has gone out of his way to compliment his fellow competitors for their talents and their personalities. He understands tremendous hitters stand between him and the improbable.
“Kyle has the most explosive motion for his body that I have ever seen,” DeChambeau said after hopping into the booth during the telecast. “It’s like a rubber band. It’s crazy, and he can just go up and up with that swing … overall, people don’t understand how talented these guys are and also what great people they are.”
As for James, DeChambeau simply said, “That’s disgusting. The way he swings is insane.” James hit a drive 375 yards during round 2.
Peterson has enjoyed watching DeChambeau perform well, but seeing his pupil’s reaction to the experience has been priceless.
“I told my wife, ‘He’s like a kid on Christmas morning,’” Peterson said.
DeChambeau agreed, but used a different term.
“I’m like a kid in a candy shop,” DeChambeau said. “There have been a lot of people here and it has been a lot of fun. They are so supportive. This is exciting and I love it.”
Looking ahead to round 3 and potentially beyond, DeChambeau, who three days ago helped lead the U.S. Ryder Cup team to a runaway win over Europe, is aware that the competition is about to get more intense.
“The main thing I am worried about is if I can do it day in and day out,” DeChambeau said. “I have never really done speed training and been up so high for four days in a row. I think the adrenalin will help me get through it. The first day was a great experience. It was great to get through. I just wanted to come out here and not be a dud.”
Mission accomplished, so much so that one of DeChambeau’s main competitors believes he has a strong chance to advance to Friday’s final eight.
“If Bryson continues to do this (filling up the grid) at speeds of 208 – 213 mph, he will be in the final eight,” Berkshire said on the live stream after watching DeChambeau. “He might need a little help in the round of 16, but not much. I don’t think he will run through and wreck people in the round of 16, but I think he will be in the six, seven, eight or nine range (of his session of 16.) … I think he is really in the long drive club now.”