Bryson DeChambeau backs bid to 'retain integrity of game' by governing bodies

Bryson DeChambeau has given his seal of approval to a proposal by golf’s governing bodies to ban the use of 48-inch shaft drivers despite spending the past few months testing one.

Bryson DeChambeau in action during the pro-am event prior to the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

Speaking ahead of his appearance in this week’s Saudi International, the American admitted that he’d expected people to think his reaction to the proposal by the R&A and USGA would be “potentially controversial”.

But, having instigated a chat yesterday with two top USGA officials following the announcement, DeChambeau said he backed what is being portrayed as an attempt to make the “human element” more important than equipment.

“I had a great conversation with John Bodenheimer and Jason Gore yesterday when it came out, pretty much right when it came out,” said the US Open champion. “That was my doing. I wanted to talk to them and get their piece on it. I totally understand what they are about.

“They are trying not to take the human element out of it, which I think is the most important factor in this whole conversation.

“When it comes to the equipment aspect, they are trying to make it more of a fair playing field where you can't just put a 48-inch driver and it works for this person and you could gain six, seven miles an hour where somebody couldn't because the driver just doesn't work for them or whatever.

“I think the most important factor in this whole discussion is that they are focused on keeping the integrity of the game.”

After landing his breakthrough major win by six shots in the US Open at Winged Foot in September, DeChambeau began testing a 48-inch driver for the Masters two months later but decided against using that at Augusta National.

“From my perspective, I think it suits me really well because, as of right now, I'm still playing the 45-and-a-half-inch driver, and it's suiting me perfectly well, and I'm not going to the 48,” added the 27-year-old.

“So, if someone was trying to go to the 48, now it's not a possibility. And I think it's going to be more difficult for people to gain speed easily. They are going to have to work really hard, just like I have.

“For me right now, I feel like it's a pretty good advantage from the way I look at it.”

Club manufacturers and professional tours have until 4 March to comment on the proposal, with the R&A and USGA also announcing a review of club and ball specifications.

“I'm going to play with whatever they gave me. I'm not worried about it,” insisted DeChambeau. “I'm going to do what that they say is legal and I'll just go from there and find the best way to play for me under the Rules of Golf.

“There's no issues. It's funny, I'm sure there's a lot of excitement about me having a potentially controversial thought on it but I don't.

“I think it's a really cool thought process. It's a little flattering in a sense, because I did talk about that 48-inch driver for so long, and it just didn't work for me the way I wanted it to.

“As it's played out, I think it's really cool to see that there's some change off of the conversations that I've had.”

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