Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
It’s the science of getting rich..
BRYSON Dechambeau is in pole position to be crowned Fedex Cup champion as the PGA Tour signs off at this week’s Tour Championship.
The top five players in the Fedex Cup standings are all in with a shout of landing the $10m bonus in Atlanta – but it’s Dechambeau who leads the way.
In his rear view mirror are World No1 Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, who all hold out hope of overtaking him in the final straight.
But the smart money is on Dechambeau, who comes here on the back of two fantastic playoff wins at the Northern Trust and Dell Technologies.
A place in the top six in Atlanta should be enough to see him home, while a finish as low as T29 still offers him a mathematical chance of winning, should others slip up.
It would cap off a memorable rise for the 25-year-old, who arrived in the paid ranks with a glowing reputation after leaving the amateur game in 2015.
Many have failed to live up to the hype, but not Dechambeau. This guy backs up his unique, scientific approach with a steely resolve to succeed. Forget headlines about his quirky clubs, Hogan flat cap and unorthodox style of play – it is his belief system that impresses me most. The US is awash with talent. Top class players continue to surge through the system, so it takes someone exceptional to rise to the top of that pool.
A strong mindset too.
Soaring from 673rd to eighth in the world rankings in just under three years is remarkable and these are exciting times for Bryson.
European players could have a big say on the destiny of the Fedex Cup title.
Newly-crowned World No1 Rose knows a win in Atlanta would seal the deal, while a top-three finish would also give him a reasonable chance of winning.
Elsewhere, tournament favourite Rory Mcilroy needs to win and hope a lot of other things go his way, including Dechambeau finishing T11 or worse.
Paul Casey (right) has an outside chance of ripping up the script and while he has gone off the boil in recent weeks, his record here is fantastic, with top-five finishes in four starts. His game is made for East Lake and he’ll be hoping to lay down a marker ahead of the Ryder Cup. I expect a strong showing from the European guys and it would send out a warning to the Americans a week out from Paris.
But it’s hard to look past Dechambeau on current form.
The stage is set for the ‘Mad Scientist’ to pass his latest acid test in Atlanta.