Bryson DeChambeau has returned to Dubai three years after his first appearance in the United Arab Emirates.
The 25-year-old from Clovis in California’s San Joaquin Valley, who finished in a tie for 18th in the 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic as an amateur, is back as the fifth-ranked player in the World Golf Rankings—or the highest of anyone in the field for the tournament that starts Wednesday night, United States time.
“It’s an honor to be back here and I’m super excited,” said DeChambeau, who has claimed five of his six pro victories in the last nine months. “Obviously, I played well on this golf course here a couple years ago. Didn’t putt very well, but I think we figured out why for this year.
“I struggled with putting when I came here three years. But now I think I have a better understanding of why that happened. It’s trying to understand the variables more and more. That’s really my goal of what I want to do each and every week.”
DeChambeau, who played college golf at SMU and joined Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Ryan Moore to win the NCAA Championship and the United States Amateur in the same year, claimed three PGA Tour victories in a span of six events and four in all last year.
And he hasn’t slowed down since the start of the 2018-19 season, winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, tying for 12th in the Hero World Challenge, finishing seventh in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and tying for 10th in the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“I am looking forward to a really good week,” said DeChambeau, who has not won outside the United States. “The game is in great shape. … I am hitting it well, putting it well. I’m honestly just excited to try and capture an international victory. That’s really what I want to do this week.
“I’m not satisfied. There’s more to learn. There’s more to achieve. For me, it’s not necessarily about being No. 1. I mean, that’s the result of all the hard work, right? But for me, it’s more about understanding the game at a whole other level that’s never really been done before.”
That’s the “Mad Scientist” coming out in DeChambeau.
He’s earned that nickname because of his unorthodox approach to the game, which includes having all of his clubs the same length and taking an esoteric look at the game from tee to green.
“I want to achieve different insight into all the different variables that go through you having to adjust properly to the course at hand,” said DeChambeau, who believes he has figured out why he didn’t put so well the last time in the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club https://www.dubaigolf.com/emirates-golf-club.aspx.
“For me, it’s more about understanding the game at a whole other level that’s never really been done before. Like this week, it’s the greens. That’s really my goal of what I want to do each and every week. … That’s part of the secret sauce.”
Obviously, he seems to have found a recipe that works for him.
