ORLANDO, Florida – Bryson DeChambeau gave fans what they wanted on Saturday.
On Sunday, he gave himself what he wanted: an estimated victory in the tournament named after one of his childhood idols, Arnold Palmer.
In cold, windy and complicated weather at Bay Hill for the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the 27-year-old DeChambeau defeated 47-year-old Englishman Lee Westwood by a shot in what became an exciting twist.
DeChambeau hit one of three rounds under par among the 72 players on Sunday – a final round 1-under 71 – and finished 11 under par against 10 under Westwood.
But it was the way DeChambeau won that not only satisfied him the most, but it opened the eyes of his observers to the fact that he is not just a geek gym rat that hits the ball farther than anyone in the game.
Do not.
DeChambeau excels at the little things that win golf tournaments as much as hitting breathtaking tee shots – like he did when he bombed his tee shot over the big lake at the par-5 sixth hole on Saturday and threw his arms like he had just stole an unoccupied homer, then proclaiming that he “gave the fans what they wanted”.
DeChambeau is like a baseball hitter who hits more home runs than the next, but he is also a proficient bunter that moves runners when he needs them.
He is a modern Babe Ruth who also plays small ball.
In short: DeChambeau does not get his eighth career win on the PGA Tour without making the pair saves he made with his beautiful short game and giving the clutch putts he did on Sunday.
“You can’t just go far on the PGA Tour [and win], ” DeChambeau said.
Of course, he has more up-to-date tools in his arsenal than Westwood, who was trying to win his first PGA Tour event in over a decade. This cannot be denied. DeChambeau’s length was an advantage – which even Westwood in defeat described as “great to watch”.
But when you look at how DeChambeau won, it wasn’t about him overcoming Westwood. It was about his complete game, the elements that the casual observer neglects.
Of course, girls like the long ball. But they also like winners. And DeChambeau on Sunday became the first multiple winner on this year’s PGA Tour.
Consider the 72nd hole as Test A and explain why it was not necessarily the length of DeChambeau that was the only difference.
His movement in 18 was 303 yards. Westwood covered 291 yards.
Westwood, probably needing a birdie to force a playoff with a shot back, left his 159-yard approach fired from a divot 20 meters from the flag. DeChambeau’s approaching shot stopped 13 meters from the flag.
Westwood was left 6 feet and 8 inches for the pair. DeChambeau was left 5 feet and 5 inches for the pair. Westwood did his must-make, leaving DeChambeau having to do his own to win.
He did.
“I think it’s a very underrated aspect of my game, ” said DeChambeau of his placement.
Clinging to the advantage of a shot at the 11th hole, DeChambeau drained a 15-meter partial shot and maintained the lead. At No. 12, Westwood buried a 28-foot bird putt to tie DeChambeau in 11-under.
They remained tied at 11 below until Westwood flashed at par-3 14th, leaving his first 11-foot putt short and missing the par-save, giving DeChambeau back his lead of a shot, which he would never give up.
Dechambeau, in fact, did not break all day after hitting a bad starting shot in the first place and struggling to get to the bogey. This would be the first and only stain on his score card for the entire day.
You don’t do this by simply hitting the ball farther than your opponent. You do it by doing everything better, overcoming the competition, which is a mantra by DeChambeau, who was stepping on the track well after the darkness on Saturday night.
This is an element that attracted Tiger Woods to DeChambeau. It is the reason why DeChambeau received an encouraging text message on Sunday morning from Woods, who is still in the hospital recovering from the serious injuries he sustained in a car accident on February 23.
“When I got the message, I thought, ‘Wow, it’s amazing that he thinks of me when he’s going through difficult times,'” said DeChambeau. “This red cardigan [given to the winner in honor of Palmer] it’s not just for Mr. Palmer, but I would say it’s a little bit for Tiger too, knowing where he is now. ”