MY WAY MAY DRIVE RORY UP THE WALL
Bryson’s style is hard to imitate
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU warned his mission to hit longer is not to be “taken lightly” after Rory McIlroy revealed he has lost his swing trying to chase the US Open champion.
The Northern Irishman led the PGA Tour driving stats in 2017 and 2018 – and has been in the leading four in each of the past five years.
DeChambeau, though, returned from lockdown last year with a new muscle-bound physique and increased swing speed to top the distance rankings.
McIlroy admitted he tried to copy the blueprint after the American’s Winged Foot win last September by pushing his swing to the limit.
And he claimed after missing the cut at the Players Championship – just a month before the Masters – that he had not recovered.
Asked about McIlroy’s comments, DeChambeau said: “I wasn’t trying to influence anybody. I was just trying to play my own game and hit it as far as I could.
“I knew there was going to be an effect. I didn’t know what it would be, or who would be affected by it, but golf is a weird game.
“This journey that I’m on is not taken lightly. I’ve tried to figure out a bunch of different variables that you have to in order to hit it straight, hitting it really far.
“I knew some people, it would potentially not work for them, and some people, it may help them. But I do appreciate Rory’s comments, it’s kind of a sentiment almost and something that keeps me going every day.”
After rounds of 79 and 75 at Sawgrass, McIlroy said his “swing issues” dated back to last October. “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t anything to do with what Bryson did at the US Open,” he said.
“A lot of people saw that and were like, whoa! I thought being able to get more speed is a good thing, and maybe to the detriment a little bit of my swing, I got there, but I just need to maybe rein it back in a little bit.”
❑ WORLD No1 Dustin Johnson has confirmed he will not play at the Olympics this summer. The American, who also opted out of 2016 due to Zika virus concerns, said: “It’s a lot of travelling at a time where it’s important to feel like I’m focusing on the PGA Tour.”
❑ FRENCHMAN Antoine Rozner holed an incredible 60-foot birdie putt at the last hole to win the Qatar Masters.