After a whirlwind fortnight that saw him burst onto the professional scene, Bryson DeChambeau is looking forward to a break - but not before teeing it up this week at the Valero Texas Open.
DeChambeau took home low amateur honors at the Masters, and he promptly finished T-4 in his first start as a pro last week at the RBC Heritage. That top-10 finish earned him a spot this week at TPC San Antonio, where he arrived Sunday night directly from Hilton Head before participating in a pro-am the next day.
After a self-described internship playing around the world in professional events earlier this year, the 22-year-old is keenly aware that his body could use a break.
“I’m trying to play my best golf, and my body is getting a little tired,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve been on the road for, shoot, since Abu Dhabi and the Middle East tournaments. It’s taken a toll on my body. I know when it starts to give out, so next week is going to be a much-needed rest.
“What I can say is that this week I’m resting more than I ever have before in a tournament. Usually I’d still be out htere practicing, chipping, doing everything, but I’m taking it easy and trying to save my body so I can perform at its highest potential.”
DeChambeau will skip next week’s Zurich Classic, but his schedule will quickly heat up after that. He’s slated to play four of the subsequent five PGA Tour events, a stretch that will include the Memorial Tournament and run right into U.S. Open sectional qualifying.
DeChambeau already sports a unique style with his throwback hat, but he admitted that a full, vintage outfit that includes knickers a la Payne Stewart is not out of the realm of possibility. He said he gave the wardrobe switch some consideration at the Masters, but instead plans to wait until he has secured a PGA Tour card.
“It would have looked arrogant to the other players out here,” he said. “I have to be respectful of them because, again, I’m not trying to come out here and say, ‘Hey, look, I’m this new star.’ That’s not what I’m trying to do.
“I’m just trying to pay my respect to the guys that have made golf what it is today, and I think there’s a right time for it and you will see it, but I just don’t know about it being right now,” he added. “We’re definitely thinking about it and trying to make it happen, though.”