Bryson DeChambeau Thinks He's in Ryder Cup Shape Thanks to New Equipment: 'I Feel Like I'm Just a Brute'

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Bryson DeChambeau sent ripples through the golf world last week when he shot a record-breaking 12-under 58 to win LIV Greenbrier—ripples that even sparked discussion of the former U.S. Open champion being selected to the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

“I really didn’t get unlucky, and I hit every shot the way I wanted to,” DeChambeau said of the round. “Literally a perfect storm.”

As LIV Golf events don’t carry weight in the Ryder Cup standings, DeChambeau’s breakthrough weekend won’t catapult him into guaranteed consideration by any means. He’s currently ranked 50th in the U.S. Team standings, miles away from one of the six automatic picks. But there are still six more captain’s selections up for grabs. (DeChambeau is 17th in the SI World Golf Rankings.)

Considering his strong finishes at the PGA Championship (T4) and the U.S. Open (T20), DeChambeau’s win may have opened the door for his name to at least enter the conversation. And DeChambeau feels like it would be appropriate for captain Zach Johnson to consider him, especially given his Ryder Cup experience and current form. In two previous Ryder Cups, DeChambeau has a record of 2-3-1

“Look, I’ve played in a couple Ryder Cups and I would love to represent my country, there’s no doubt about that. I feel like I’m in a good place to be able to do that. I feel like I’m a top 10 player for sure right now, with the game that I’m playing,” he said. “If I do get picked, fantastic. If I don't, I'll still be watching on TV, rooting for Team USA because I respect and appreciate those players and all the team records in our country more than a PGA Tour or LIV thing.”

Much of DeChambeau’s success can be attributed to his new equipment, and the 29-year-old—who utilizes a unique single-plane swing—doesn’t hesitate to admit that.

When asked if he is a stronger player now than he was in his previous Ryder Cup appearances, DeChambeau almost entirely credits his new setup as the key factor in dialing-in his game. The consistency he’s seeing with his current clubs has dramatically improved his mindset during competition.

“Oh, one thousand percent. Not even a question. Again, the equipment is performing really nicely for me," he said. "I feel like I can go out there and just play golf, rather than ‘golf swing’ or ‘what do I need to do here’ or ‘if I hit it on this part of the face’ or whatever. But I also feel like my mental game is in a different place because of the equipment.

“I feel like I’m just a brute. I just, boom, right down the fairway, wedge it on the green, right down the fairway, wedge it on the green. It’s just more about a determined, focused mentality that I have with this new equipment. It’s really the equipment, to be honest. So it is different. That’s what makes me feel like I’m back in 2015 playing the U.S. Am and shooting 6 under every time at Olympia Fields. That’s kind of what I feel like,” he said.

DeChambeau has implemented a new driver and 5-wood from Krank Golf, a brand that produces clubs specifically for long-drive competitors. The SMU product has competed in his fair share of those events, and now he’s bringing the highly specialized equipment from the long-drive world into his regular setup.

When asked about the driver at last week’s event in Greenbrier, DeChambeau hinted that the club provided him additional forgiveness: “Hit it on the toe, hit it on the heel, everything comes back down the middle of the fairway.”

At a kids clinic ahead of this week’s LIV event, DeChambeau even alluded to the fact that he doesn’t even need to hit his driver on the range as much as he used to. When asked what his current “swing thought” is, DeChambeau said that he’s trying to “swing inside out” and “hit it off the toe.”

On Wednesday DeChambeau addressed the new club, citing his former equipment contracts and how ill-suited his old clubs once were for his game.

“For five years, I didn’t have the right equipment, so that shows you how important equipment is,” DeChambeau said.

DeChambeau even went on to assert that larger purses—such as LIV’s $20 million prize payouts—might allow more players to experiment with equipment, rather than relying on lucrative contracts from major manufacturers.

“I think we’re in a place now in time where equipment contracts aren’t necessarily as important as the purse that you’re playing for," he said. "I think that the best equipment is going to start showing itself over the course of time because of that, and I think it’s a great thing for the game of golf.

"We as professionals want to provide the best equipment possible for the public. And professionals, we don’t want to just lock ourselves into one side of the market. We don’t want to build a club just for us, more for the average golfer. We want equipment to work for everyone. That’s what I think is so beautiful about the game, is keeping it the same across all ends is super important. In regards to the forgiveness, you can say that, but if you get the right physics going you can get some special stuff happening."

DeChambeau will look to keep his hot streak alive at Trump National Bedminster this week, the third-to-last regular season event on LIV Golf’s schedule.