If Bryson DeChambeau gave the impression to be in every single place in 2024, he was

The previous 12 months had all of it — loopy profitable streaks, new main champs, a major-week arrest (!) and extra. With 2025 on the horizon, our writers are trying again on the most memorable moments from 2024.

No. 15 — Charley Hull goes viral | No. 14 — LIV, LPGA CEOs say goodbye | No. 13— Solheim Cup parking fiasco | No. 12 — Phoenix Open chaos | No. 11 — Lydia Ko’s Corridor of Fame resurgence | No. 10 — PGA Tour/Saudi PIF merger stalemate | No. 9 — Keegan Bradley named Ryder Cup captain | No. 8 — Lexi Thompson steps away | No. 7 — Xander Schauffele’s main breakthrough | No. 6 – AK’s return to golf | No. 5 — Nelly Korda’s dominance  

Largest golf moments of 2024 No. 4: Bryson DeChambeau’s huge attain

While you consider Bryson DeChambeau’s 2024, what involves thoughts first?

For those who’re of a sure age or from a sure sector of the golf-fan populace, absolutely his U.S. Open win at Pinehurst No. 2 most resonates. With Rory McIlroy leaking oil down the stretch, DeChambeau, on the 72nd gap, authored one of many best clutch moments in major-championship historical past, stuffing an ungainly 55-yard greenside bunker shot to 4 ft to safe par and, finally, his second U.S. Open title in 5 years.

For those who’re a unique — learn: much less conventional — breed of golf fan, although, there’s an excellent probability you most affiliate DeChambeau’s 2024 not with that week at Pinehurst — or, for that matter, any of his different three main begins or 13 appearances on the LIV Golf tour — however as a substitute for his spherical with Donald J. Trump…or Tom Brady…or Tony Romo. For those who get your golf repair by the use of Bob Does Sports activities or Garrett Clark, possibly DeChambeau’s hit-and-giggles with these YouTube giants was your most enduring DeChambeau reminiscence of the 12 months. Or possibly you’re not a lot of a golf fan in any respect, however on a sleepy sports activities night in December, you occurred upon DeChambeau in a made-for-TV match in Vegas. Or possibly you even caught him in your TikTok feed final month when your algorithm served you a chronicle of the 16 days he spent making an attempt to make a hole-in-one over his Dallas home.

That is DeChambeau’s newest superpower: because of the huge attain of social media and his personal relentless dedication to self-promotion, he has turn into arduous to overlook, even should you’re not searching for him.

Praising DeChambeau’s branding prowess is to take nothing away from the stellar 12 months he had on the course, particularly on the majors. On the Masters, he tied for sixth. On the PGA Championship at Valhalla, he got here roaring again on Sunday, capturing a seven-under 64 together with his “B sport” to complete runner-up, one shot behind Xander Schauffele. Then got here Pinehurst, the place he took down McIlroy in entrance of a decidedly pro-McIlroy crowd. DeChambeau’s solely hiccup on the majors got here on the Open Championship at Royal Troon, the place his brute power was no match for the gusty situations; he missed the minimize by six.

On the LIV tour, DeChambeau didn’t win however had seven top-10s, ending eighth within the general standings. Nonetheless you are feeling about LIV’s aggressive format, DeChambeau’s indoctrination into the Saudi-funded league has seemingly unlocked one thing in him. On the PGA Tour, he was an enormous expertise however an outsider. Now, he’s surrounded by outsiders, disrupters and so-called rebels. As he instructed the Telegraph earlier this 12 months: “I got here to LIV and all of the sudden there have been gamers in the identical boat as me. As a result of they have been getting stick as effectively, not from the LIV followers however seemingly in every single place else. I used to be not alone in being disliked and will share these emotions with my teammates and my colleagues.”

DeChambeau may very well be himself, which is precisely what he’s executed on his social-media platforms, this 12 months greater than ever. His in style “Break 50” YouTube sequence, through which he and his playing-partner visitor attempt to shoot 49 or higher from ahead tees, has garnered such giant audiences — most episodes have pushed greater than 2 million viewers every — that he satisfied Trump to hitch him, throughout a interval when the previous president was deep in a marketing campaign dogfight with President Biden. That episode has now been watched 13 million instances. As of this writing, DeChambeau has 1.65 million YouTube subscribers — 140,000 greater than the PGA Tour.

That statistic wouldn’t be misplaced on Phil Mickelson, who a number of months earlier than signing with LIV in 2022, publicly lambasted the Tour for its unwillingness to share media rights with the gamers. Mickelson alleged that the Tour was making tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} yearly “on their very own media channel,” to which the gamers didn’t have entry.

Seems gamers don’t want these highlights to develop their very own private channels. DeChambeau has confirmed that taking part in golf for enjoyable with different well-known golfers and golf-lovers is one other wildly efficient strategy to constructing audiences. It’s a easy system: let followers in and they’re going to are available droves. DeChambeau has one other 2.2 million followers on Instagram, and his TikTok legion is 1.4 million sturdy. In his social-media bios, he identifies himself as a “Content material Creator & Professional Golfer.” Word the order of these titles.  

Following his U.S. Open win in June, DeChambeau was requested if skilled golf wants extra gamers like him.

“I hope so,” he stated. “My mission is to proceed to develop the sport, develop the sport globally, domestically. YouTube has actually helped me accomplish a few of that.” He added, “It’s direct conversations to folks that really have interaction with what I’m doing.”

Scottie Scheffler was one of the best golfer of 2024. However probably the most influential? That was Bryson DeChambeau.