The LIV Golf star did yell ‘Fore’, according to the broadcasters.
Such was his trough in form that Bryson DeChambeau entered the US PGA Championship at over 100/1 to win his second major.
The American, who won the US Open in 2020, is without a tournament win – in PGA or LIV Golf events – for two years. His best major finish was 8th at The Open, last year, but he has struggled to find any consistency in his game.
DeChambeau is always trying to find new angles and extra one-percenters, in his striking, course mapping, routines, mind-set, clubs, diet and everything in between. He went into the second major of 2023 saying he was easing off on mass protein consumption and cutting out vegetables during big tournaments.
Whatever the 29-year-old was up to, it appeared to have done the trick at Oak Hill as he carded a -4 round of 66 to race into the tournament lead. Starting on the 10th hole, DeChambeau had an early bogey in his round but answered back with a couple of birdies before events took a turn.
His drive on the par-five 17th was on-point but his second shot flagged way right and struck fellow competitor Kenny Pigman.
The American was teeing off on the 18th hole – already +6 after eight holes – when DeChambeau’s ball pinged him in the back.
Bryson Dechambeau just absolutely drilled Kenny Pigman with a drive.
When asked he said…Guy shouldn’t have been standing there 😂 #pgachampionship pic.twitter.com/rdtpft10Dv
— Ryley E Fitzsimmons (@ryleyfitz) May 18, 2023
Bryson DeChambeau goes on birdie blitz
Kenny Pigman backed away from his own shot and took a few moments before resuming play. He would go on to bogey that hole and, ultimately, finish on +11.
The American broadcasters did state that Bryson DeChambeau called out ‘Fore’ as a warning to others that his shot had gone off the reservation. DeChambeau has been, in the past, accused of not yelling fore but he disputed that.
“I do shout fore,” he said in 2021. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There are plenty of people on the tee box that do shout fore. You’re bringing up a very controversial thing, which is unfortunate, but 99% of the time I do, and unfortunately people think I don’t. But that’s okay, they can say whatever they want.”
DeChambeau bogeyed that 17th hole after his poor second shot put both he and Pigman in trouble. However, he would birdie his next two holes, and two more on the way home, and card that round of 66 to take the lead.
Rory McIlroy found only two fairways all day, in his round of 71, and needed some stupendous par saves, like this one below, to stay in touch with the leaders:
There are many ways to save par 💪@McIlroyRory judged this one perfectly @PGAChampionship.pic.twitter.com/e1Aw2SPx95
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 18, 2023
SELECT USPGA SCORES
-4 – Bryson DeChambeau
-3 – Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners, Sepp Straka
-2 – Viktor Hovland, Keggan Bradley
-1 – Sam Burns, Justin Rose
Level – Seamus Power
+1 – Rory McIlroy
+2 – Padraig Harrington
+3 – Shane Lowry
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