PARAMUS, N.J. – It’s hard to erase the pictures of Bryson DeChambeau’s recent struggles from your memory.
First there was the video of him on the practice range at The Open at Carnoustie just over a month ago having a meltdown following a first-round 75; One-armed swings, hands over his face, hands up in the air in disgust, almost looking like he wanted to break his clubs over the back of his neck. He was a mess.
One week later, with a share of the 54-hole lead in Germany at the European Open he was in contention with four holes remaining and finished bogey, bogey, par, triple bogey to shoot 78 and tie for 13th, five shots behind winner Richard McEvoy. DeChambeau put two balls in the water on 18.
Updated FedExCup standings after The Northern Trust
Full-field scores from The Northern Trust
How does that same man, only four weeks later, put on a clinic at The Northern Trust and blitz the field by four shots to win the first FedExCup playoff event?
“That struggle is what led me to this point,” DeChambeau said Sunday at Ridgewood Country Club, trophy in hand. “That’s the thing that people sometimes miss is the fact that those moments when you’re at – relatively speaking – your lowest, are the times you can learn the most.
“All that is a learning experience that got me to where I am today. I finally had a little something this week, the beginning of the week, which is nice. I haven’t had that in a while so I was able to get work done and feel comfortable on the golf course.
“So all those things accumulated to a win this week.”