SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

October 9, 2020

Bryson DeChambeau

TPC Summerlin

Quick Quotes

Q. Let's start with a feel question. Feeling happy or frustrated that you're at 13-under par following 4-under on?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Look, you know, any time you're near the lead in a PGA TOUR event I'm excited. There is no doubt about it. I definitely left some shots out there as I made a few great shots.

So can't be too displeased with that, and look forwards to hitting a couple more shots better and making a few putts that I need to that I didn't middle of the round. Clean that up tomorrow and hopefully I can keep going low.

Q. Let's talk about some of those good shots. I got to tell you, as a broadcaster, to watch you play 7, I'm 400 yards away up by the green; I can barely see you hit the ball. I'm waiting for it reappear, reappear, I'm about to say, He's missed the green, and it emerges on the green, 26 feet, then you make it. I got to tell you, it was thrilling as a broadcaster to be able to see that and describe it.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Thank you. It was honestly a little bit of luck there. The past two days have been a little luck. I've hit it in the fringe both days and got some good bounces up near the hole and I was able to take advantage of it today.

I hope that can happen. Again, I could have hit driver, could've stayed in the bunker, gone over the green, been in a tough lie. So there is a bunch of things that can happen, but I took on the risk and I was rewarded handsomely.

Q. And then on 9 I didn't want to even look for the ball because I thought you just (indiscernible.)

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I was trying to. I know, I was definitely thinking about. But once I saw where the ball was in the bush, I knew in that area I could just take an unplayable and hit a shot on the green, and that's what I was able to do.

Didn't make the putt, but it was still a great par save after an errant tee shot.

Q. Now I know you wanted to work on your driver last night. You actually hit fewer fairways in the second round, ten compared to 11 in the opening round. Are you going to work on that again or are you happy with the way you're hitting it?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I'm happy with the way I'm hitting it. I just didn't line up a couple shots correctly, and consequently I hit it in the rough because of that. Like the last hole, the 3-wood I hit, super happy with the result there compared to yesterday.

I feel like I'm improving. Doesn't always mean you're going to hit more fairways when you work on something and do something better, but I feel more comfortable.

Q. How would you assess your play out there today?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I felt really good out there all day. I was hitting a lot of great shots. Only a few shots that I miss hit, but that's going to happen. That's golf.

I was fortunate enough to take advantage of the par-5, No. 16 and No. 7. I made two great eagles there and was super pleased about that. I feel like I need to ball-strike a little bit closer tomorrow.

You know, but I felt comfortable out there today and I was happy with the way I played. I just need to clean up a couple things and hopefully I can go 6-under, 7-under.

Q. Is what the biggest difference from yesterday to today in your game?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I felt like I missed it in the right places, and when I had iron shots in I just had the correct number and I was able to just flag it I felt like yesterday compared to today.

Today I was a little bit more in between clubs and was a little more difficult to get it close to the flag. Hopefully I have better numbers tomorrow and execute the shots.

Q. Now, today, after he shot a good round and took a share of the lead at the BMW Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick said the following: I'm going to be biased because I'm not quite the longest; at Winged Foot the fairways were tight as hell and I drove it brilliantly; I played pretty well and I'm miles behind you. He's in the rough and miles up and he's just hitting wedges everywhere; he just makes a bit of a mockery of it, I think; when he's on there is not point, is there?

It doesn't matter if I play my best, he's going to be 50 yards in front of me off the tee. The only thing I can compete with him is putting, and that's just ridiculous?

When asked (indiscernible) he said, I really hope they do. It's not a skill to hit the ball a long way in my opinion. I could put on 40 pounds, go and see a biomechanist and I could gain 40 yards. That's a fact. I could put on another two inches on my driver. I could gain that, but the skill, in my opinion, is to hit the ball straight. That's the skill. He's just taking the skill out of it, my opinion. I'm sure lots would disagree. It's just damn.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I appreciate that comment. It's a compliment to me honestly. A year ago I wasn't hitting in anywhere near as far as I am today. It took a lot of work, a lot of hours to work through the night to figure out a lot of this stuff.

I would say it actually takes more skill to do what I'm doing, and albeit I may have -- my fairway percentages are a little bit down, I'm still believe I'm hitting it straighter than what I was last year with the distances that I was hitting back then.

So I actually appreciate those comments. I think he's looking out for certain set of players, and I appreciate that. My whole goal is to play the best golf I possibly can, and this game has given me the opportunity showcase something pretty special.

I feel like I've started to go down a path that's allowed me to have an advantage over everyone, and I think that is a skillset when you look at it. For me out there today, I was still able to hit a lot of fairways at 360 yards. That's tough to do with drivers.

If anything, it's more difficult to hit more fairways the way I'm doing it with the rules the way it is today. It's more built for players like Matthew Fitzpatrick and his distances and players like that.

So from my perspective, I think it takes a little bit more skill to do what I'm doing, and that's why there are only a few people doing it out here.

You know, I actually appreciate it, because I would love to have a conversation with him about it and say, Hey, man, I would love to help out. Why couldn't you do it, too? You see Rory and DJ doing the same thing, too. They're seeing that distinct advantage, and I feel like it's great are for the game of golf.

I don't think it takes less skill. I'm still putting it great; still wedging it mediocre, the same, maybe a little bit better. It shows out here that I'm still hitting fairways.

Yeah, I do hit a couple errant shots like on 9 today, but I do hit a lot of fairways, I still hit great irons, and I make a lot putts. I still think there is a lot of the skill in that.