In 2020, we were primed for the age of Bryson DeChambeau. The US Open had been claimed, Augusta National was supposedly a par of 67 rather than 72 and golfers the world over were trying to imitate the bomb and gouge approach of this wacky Californian.
DeChambeau polarised opinion but was a genuine needle-mover in a sport where vanilla is the prominent flavour. DeChambeau’s peculiar habit of rubbing people up the wrong way masked the fact he always seemed to mean well. The Mad Scientist helped to sell sport to the masses. He had an extended feud with Brooks Koepka and publicly berated his own equipment manufacturer in between winning eight times on the PGA Tour. Being Bryson seemed exhausting.
