“I mean, it had to be done. I knew I had to stand up and execute three great golf shots.”
On a day when some of the world’s best golfers were carding rounds of 75, 76 and worse, Bryson DeChambeau went -1 around Bay Hill to clinch the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The American went into the final round tied for second place, and one back from Lee Westwood, and overcame a bogey on the first green to card 71. He picked up two shots on the front nine before closing out with 12 straight pars as everyone was faltering around him.
The reigning US Open champion is back in winning form ahead of The Players Championship and the upcoming Masters (in April). Following his eighth career win, DeChambeau revealed he had received a gee-up text from Tiger Woods ahead of his final round.
Playing Captain Tiger Woods of the United States team and Bryson DeChambeau of the United States team celebrate winning the Presidents Cup on December 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Woods was badly injured when his car left the road, on February 23, and had multiple rolls in a single vehicle accident. The 15-time Major winner was found unconscious and with a badly broken leg and is still recovering from his injuries.
DeChambeau says Woods has been a mentor to him, much like the late Arnold Palmer had with Woods. The 45-year-old captained DeChambeau to a Team USA President’s Cup victory in 2019. Asked about the text from Woods, DeChambeau said:
“Well, it was obviously personal, I would say, for the most part, but pretty much to sum it up… he texted me this morning out of the blue and I wasn’t expecting anything. When I got that text, I’m like, wow, that’s pretty amazing that he is thinking of me when he’s in his tough times that he’s going through right now.
“So I just texted him, I said, ‘Keep moving forward, keep going forward. You’re going to get through it. You’re the hardest working person I’ve ever met and you’ll persevere through this’.
“One of the things that we talked about was, it’s not about how many times you get kicked to the curb or knocked down. It’s about how many times you can get back up and keep moving forward. And I think this red cardigan is not only for Mr. Palmer, but I would say it’s a little bit for Tiger as well, knowing what place he’s in right now.”
Bryson DeChambeau has gained 40lbs in the past two years [including 20lbs of added muscle] as he adds ballast to his frame. It seems to be working as his long game has vastly improved in recent years.
Asked what sized red, Arnold Palmer-style cardigan he received for winning his latest tournament, he remarked, “XL, and it barely fits!”
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