How Did Bryson DeChambeau Become the Most Popular Golfer in the World?

It’s 2019, and Texas golfer California star Bryson Dechambeau has become one of the most hated golfers in the world. Due to his slow play being called out by major winner Brooks Koepka and his obnoxious temper when it came to the majors, he was quickly becoming more of a drag to the tour than anything else. Even with a major win in 2020, nobody except his small followers cared much about his same-length clubs, his long drives, or anything else that had to do with Bryson’s personality. He had gone from a rising SMU collegiate player that the tour was looking forward to a man wearing a flat cap and bragging about his innovation in golf. This view of him only started to change in 2022, when the major winner decided to make the move to LIV, taking the money and providing him with more time than ever before. While a lot of the players chose to take the money and time and run, Bryson did the opposite, making a name for himself like no other golfer ever has. 

Dechambeau would upload his first YouTube video in 2022, starting by just making some basic content about his swing and time on tour, getting around a million views due to his name, but nothing substantial. Everything would change about two years ago for the long-ball hitter, though, as major collaborations with top social media golfers Garret Clark and Grant Horvat would start turning Bryson into a likeable guy, with fans being able to see his personality outside of golf like never before. His long drives were no longer just something unique but instead something people would start coming to tournaments just to see. The main cause for Dechambeau during this time was the start of his Break 50 series. In a series Bryson continues to this day, he teams up with another celebrity in an 18-hole best-ball team match where the two players try to break the coveted score of 50. Bryson’s views and popularity would hence skyrocket, getting anywhere from five to 10 million views on videos that kept showing Bryson in a lighter and lighter light. 

Going into 2024, Bryson had gone from the unlikeable long driver to one of the most popular golfers on tour, with his personality shining through all his new fans on and off the course. From picking up the leaderboard sign at Augusta to winning the U.S. Open while showing as much emotion as anybody after a win at Pinehurst, fans were in awe. They no longer looked at it as some alpha dog guy who thought he was better than everyone else, but instead as a humble, motivated golfer who had made a 180 switch on the view of himself. Yesterday, when Bryson was asked about why he interacts with the fans so much, Bryson gave an explanation, explaining how he wants to grow the game of golf globally, but more to inspire the kids in such a great game. He went on to say that as an “entertainer,” it was his duty to interact and be as authentic as possible with his fans. In the history of golf, there have been plenty of popular players such as Tiger Woods, but that was more due to straight skill shock. Don’t get it twisted, though. Bryson is arguably a top-three golfer in the world, but his change to social media is revolutionary and has continued to inspire other golfers throughout the past year.