After a weekend of viral videos, accusations, confrontations and rebuttals, a more measured Bryson DeChambeau took to social media to address the mounting criticism that he has faced in waves for the majority of his career, and over the past week in particular.
Following the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in which two videos were shared on social media that showed DeChambeau taking well over the accepted 40-second time to strike a shot, DeChambeau gave passionate and emotional responses to the issues, going so far as to challenge Brooks Koepka — through his caddie — to say anything negative about his pace “to (his) face.”
DeChambeau Lashes Out At Critics Of His Pace Of Play
“Let’s talk about slow play, guys,” DeChambeau said after his third round at The Northern Trust, clearly fired up about the criticism he was receiving.. “It’s really kind of unfortunate the way it’s perceived because there’s a lot of other guys that take a lot of time. They don’t talk about this matter and for me personally, it is an attack and it is something that is not me whatsoever. People don’t realize the harm that they are doing to the individuals.
“When people start talking to me about slow play and how I’m killing the game, I’m doing this and that to the game, that is complete and utter you-know-what. That’s not fair.”
Having let the aftermath settle a bit, DeChambeau offered a reevaluation of his pace of play via an Instagram post on Monday.
“Slow play affects the quality of the game for both players and our fans and I’ve always had the utmost respect for my playing partners, including JT and Tommy,” DeChambeau wrote, referencing his playing partners from the second round, Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood. “I’m constantly trying to improve and I will do my very best to improve my pace.
“Golf is my passion and livelihood. It’s my responsibility to help improve the game to be more enjoyable for all. Pace of play has been an issue for golf at all levels for a long time, and I’m committed to being a part of the solution, not the problem. I want to be a good representative of the game and the PGA Tour and I looking forward to working with the Tour and fellow players to find a solution to slow play.”
Koepka Lays Into Fellow Pros For Slow Play
DeChambeau commented on his own post later saying he’s not wasting any more time getting the conversation started.
“I’ll be meeting with the PGA Tour this week and am excited to focus on a great week of golf at The BMW Championship,” he wrote.
DeChambeau will begin the BMW Championship inside the top-30 in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and in position to reach the finale at East Lake Golf Club next week for the Tour Championship. He begins his tournament this week on Thursday alongside Kevin Kisner and Tony Finau, teeing off at 11:10 a.m. EST.
