The 27-year-old was the only person to nish under par at Winged Foot

written By: Joe Laurich, staff writer

Bryson DeChambeau took home his first ever major at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot this weekend, establishing himself as one of the best golfers in the sport right now.

The U.S. Open is one of the toughest events of the year, and it was no different this weekend as DeChambeau was the only golfer to finish under par. 

Matthew Wolff, the 54-hole leader, finished in second place at even after shooting five-over par on Sunday.

DeChambeau entered Sunday two shots back and shot three-under par, the only golfer on Sunday who was able to shoot under par. 

Bryson’s final round 67 beat the Sunday average by an average of 7.9 strokes, as the final day average was 74.9. He finished six-under par for the tournament. 

While the win was DeChambeau’s first major, its also helps validate his methods that have been a focus of his game over the last year. 

DeChambeau weighs 240 pounds, 50 pounds heavier than when he first turned pro. 

He has  plans to gain 15 additional pounds by the Masters in November.

Last season, he added 20 yards to his drive to lead the PGA Tour with an average distance of 322 yards. This year, he’s up to an average of 325.8 yards per drive.

DeChambeau, who rewrote his physics textbook in high school and is advanced in math, is one of the most methodical golfers on the tour. 

He relies on technology, and  believes that with today’s technology he could live to 130 years old. Unlike his rival Brooks Koepka, who is known for playing quick and has called out DeChambeau before, DeChambeau will analyze his shots for minutes to figure out the best shot. 

An example of this happened on the 13th tee at Winged Foot on Sunday, when he took two minutes to analyze his shot before deciding to pull a club, going for a seven iron on the 210 yard par-three.

When asked about his mental strength after winning the $2.25 million first place prize on Sunday, DeChambeau answered, “It’s a lot of validation through science.” 

 “If I hit a 40-footer and it says 10.1 miles per hour on the device, I know that I’ve executed it correctly. If I see the ball go two feet past that 40-foot mark, I know it’s perfect. I know I’ve done everything I can in my brain to make my perception reality. I’m trying to make my perception of what I feel and what I think and turn it into proper reality.”

DeChambeau is only 27 years old, and has ample time to improve his game and fine tune his style of play. 

He will be one of the favorites not only for the Masters, but also for any tournament he plays in going forward. DeChambeau already has seven career wins, and could establish himself as one of the all-time greats.