Bryson DeChambeau drastically raises major championship profile with sights set on PGA Championship 2025

CHARLOTTE — Pick a major championship Sunday in recent memory; Bryson DeChambeau’s name has been on the first page of the leaderboard. Whatever version this is for the two-time U.S. Open champion, what’s clear is that it’s his best. And it has showed up three specific weeks — three of the biggest weeks — out of the year across the last two seasons.

While DeChambeau admitted The Open Championship remains a mystery that continues to befuddle him, what the big hitter has largely solved are the three United States-based major championships: the Masters, PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.

Since missing the cut at the 2023 Masters, DeChambeau has rattled off six straight top 20s, including five where he was a serious variable in the final round.

“I feel like I’ve always had the capacity to play well in major championships and contend consistently,” DeChambeau said. “A lot of things have to go right in majors for you to play well. Your whole game has to be on. So, I felt like at Valhalla [site of the 2024 PGA Championship], especially after Augusta [National], that was the second time that I played well in a major, and it kind of gave me that confidence that I could just keep moving forward with that at every major and keep hammering down on majors. … I feel like I’m moving in the right direction with giving myself a lot of multiple chances to win these major championships. 

“So, I felt like at Valhalla last year, it was more of an assurance of saying, ‘Hey, I can do this, and I can do this for a long time, God willing.’ I’m going to continue to try and play my best golf. Hopefully that expresses itself positively this week and in future weeks at different majors and even at LIV [Golf] events, but my goal is to play the best every single week I possibly can. Valhalla definitely gave me some confidence for the rest of the majors, last year and even this year.”

The golf courses those weeks varied in terms of how well they fit his game. Augusta National was punching DeChambeau back for his past comments, but the big golfer finally countered in 2024 and again last month. Though he seems more comfortable than before around the Georgia gem, it is well known that DeChambeau feels at home when teeing it up at PGA Championship venues.

Long golf courses that have received a substantial amount of rain, Oak Hill and Valhalla were both brought to their knees by the 31-year-old American. If there was a phrase to describe this week’s host, Quail Hollow, “a long golf course that has received a substantial amount of rain” would be at the tip of the tongue. 

“I remember you’ve got to drive it well,” DeChambeau said of playing in Charlotte. “So far, I’ve been driving it well this season. Hopefully, it continues. Greens are tricky. Got to have great irons. You’ve got to come in with a full, complete set of clubs that you feel comfortable with attacking flags at and just strategizing your way around the golf course. It’s a full test of golf this week, and I’m certainly excited for the challenge.”

DeChambeau’s driving ability will separate him from the pack this week. Given the required carries off the tee and the dampness in the fairways, the longer the ball travels in the air, the longer one’s name will be in contention.

It’s not rocket science; in fact, it’s actually incredibly simple.

“I do believe you have to have a lot of distance out here,” DeChambeau said. “Rory [McIlroy] is a great driver of the golf ball, and his iron play is great, too. I think it’s a golf course that sets up for his shot shapes pretty well, and I think it sets up well for mine, too. We’ll see. Maybe I do well, maybe I don’t. But I’m certainly going to give it my all, and I know Rory is. Hopefully we can have another go at it again like the Masters.”

What about separation from his peers like reigning champion Xander Schauffele, whom he fell one stroke shy of last year or co-favorites in Masters champion McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler? DeChambeau has been able to accomplish that in the U.S. Open, but what can he do to achieve victory at a PGA Championship? Oddsmakers have him at 8-1 entering this 2025 PGA Championship just behind McIlroy and Scheffler at 5-1. He may even be a better value.

Some may look to his iron play needing improvement given what happened Masters Sunday — and sure, it does need to get better — but instead, it might be finding an answer on the greens. DeChambeau may not be receiving the flowers he deserves for what he can do with that bulky putter in hand — especially under pressure.

His putting stroke utilizes those big muscles and has held up well under the gun lately. Bryson has averaged +0.70 strokes gained putting per round across his five most recent major runs. An admirable mark that is more than satisfactory until you realize DeChambeau’s last two trips to Quail Hollow have produced an output of +1.75 strokes gained putting per round. (No, that is not a typo.)

DeChambeau converted 64% of his putts from 10 to 15 feet in those tournaments, which is just a shade more than the field average which came in at … wait for it … 29%, according to Justin Ray. (Again, not a typo.)

If he comes anywhere close to sniffing that number this week, DeChambeau will walk away with major No. 3.

“A little bit of luck, and one or two shots going your way, you making a putt from 7-8 feet,” said DeChambeau of what could be the difference. “There’s going to be numerous players that are playing well this week that are going to have a chance. Sometimes, it’s just a little wind off the left or off the right that makes the ball go somewhere different or closer to the hole, or sometimes it’s a mishit shot that ends up close to the hole. A little bit of fortune but also paired with a lot of skill over 72 holes of golf.”

DeChambeau has shown he is far from short on skill on this major championship stage. It is what has propelled him into contention recently and will continue to do so moving forward. As for his fortune in this championship? 

Well, we’ll just have to wait until the final round because everyone knows a major championship doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday. Everyone also knows that’s where DeChambeau will be — in contention on the back nine late into a golf tournament with a chance to win the Wanamaker Trophy.