Former U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau has been a shell of himself for much of the 2022 season, and the time has finally come for taking full measures instead of competing at less than full strength.
DeChambeau, 28, underwent surgery on his injured left hand on Thursday and said he’ll need about two months to recover. He missed the cut at the Masters, where he estimated he was operating at 80% capacity as he played through a broken hamate bone in his hand and a torn labrum in his left hip.
View this post on Instagram
“I can’t go all-out,” DeChambeau said after the Masters. “I can’t do any speed training sessions. I can’t practice for excessive hours.”
Doctors advised DeChambeau to shut everything down for several months but he opted to end his injury layoff at the WGC-Dell Match Play last month. He struggled in Austin, then missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. Still, he was determined to play at Augusta, and it was clear his game wasn’t where it needed to be.
“Through continued discomfort from the fracture, it has caused me to alter my grip and swing, resulting in my inability to compete at golf’s highest level,” DeChambeau said in an Instagram post on Thursday. “This has not been easy physically and mentally for me.
For now, I will be taking the appropriate time needed to rest and recover from this procedure and look forward to competing at the highest level within the next two months.”
According to DeChambeau, both of his injuries stem from his rigorous speed training but were reaggravated when he slipped while playing Ping-Pong at the Saudi International in early February.
“We look forward to a smooth recovery and rehab process,” DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, said in a statement. “Bryson looks forward to returning as soon as he is cleared to do so.”
DeChambeau had been due to compete in a Professional Long Drivers Association event this week in Florida, but the surgery obviously takes that off the table. The PGA Championship at Southern Hills is only about five weeks away, so it’s probably more realistic to expect DeChambeau to recover in time for the U.S. Open in mid-June.
