LIV GOLF NASHVILLE

June 21, 2024

Bryson DeChambeau

The Grove

Crushers GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome our U.S. Open champion, Bryson DeChambeau, the captain of Crushers GC. Welcome, Bryson. I'm actually surprised to see you in here. You fired off a 67, 4-under today. You're currently tied for fourth. I have been personally witnessing everything that you've been doing since Sunday night. I don't know how you're standing, let alone performing in a golf tournament right now. How are you doing it?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Like I said in my interview, I'm a bit of a zombie right now. Luckily the crowd has given me a lot of energy. Very gracious to have that happen, and man, they're just pushing me forward. I can't thank them enough. It's so cool to see the support out there.

This is what LIV Golf is about. I had a vision of this two three years ago, seeing what the potential could be, and this is just the start. With how much support we have out here, and it's just the start, that's a testament to what LIV Golf is and what the Crushers are doing, what our team is doing, and what we're trying to do for Nashville and places all across the globe. Super excited for the future of LIV.

Q. I was on the first tee with you guys teeing off, and that first tee experience was electric today. As you were walking down, people chanting your name and it was just lined on both sides. Was that kind of a surreal experience?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, it felt like a basketball arena. It was awesome. That's what -- why isn't golf in the -- it's 2024. Golf needs to move forward, and this is what we're trying to do, and it's so cool to see all the fans out here cheering and supporting and rooting like a basketball game. It's pretty cool.

Q. Are you surprised that you're sitting tied for fourth right now considering the stress of this week?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: A little. I mean, I didn't know how well I'd do today, but I know my game is in a really good spot. I'm putting well, hitting my irons really well, driving it solid, and yeah, I gave myself a lot of good chances today, and albeit I didn't finish off the way I wanted to, it is what it is, and I've got a great opportunity these next few days, and that's what I'm excited about.

I'm full-court press to do it again here this week.

Q. Was there ever a moment out there where you really felt like the focus was challenging to have there because you're tired because of all the stuff that's been going on?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: There was a few moments where I was over some putts and it was pretty quiet and I was losing focus. My head was starting to bob a little bit. I'm like, come on, come on. I started looking around the crowd and seeing how many people were there, and I'm like, I've got to go.

It was really fun to get back in that mindset and focus super hard, but there was a few moments out there for sure.

Q. Can you talk about 15?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: 15 was awesome. Hit a bad wedge shot on 14, so really wanted to give the crowd something special. It was a tricky little shot, actually. The wind wasn't up as much as I thought it would be today, and the last hole kind of tricked me. I hit a wedge shot way too far and it was the same club I was using, so I didn't know how it was going to come off the face. Luckily I hit a good stock shot in there, 56-degree, one I hit out of the bunker actually at Pinehurst last week, so that club has been working pretty solidly for me so far.

It almost hit the golf balls, by the way. Imagine if that just hit the golf balls and shot it somewhere. Man, that would have been awful. But luckily it didn't. Had an eight-footer, and I knew what that was for. I wanted to make that putt for the crowd, and when I saw it about a foot away, I'm like, oh, that's going in. So I just tried to pump the crowd up again.

Q. How much fun are you having right now?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: It's the greatest time of my life.

Q. We saw the video of you downtown. How was that experience?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: It was crazy. It was wild. But what an awesome opportunity to have that trophy in downtown and have people touch the trophy. I would have liked to have stayed longer, but it was going to get out of control where I don't think they'd have been able to control everybody. But it was special. People that got to touch it, people got to see it, and the party we had was fun and fantastic and something that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

Q. 15 was electric. You drained the hole, but I've got to ask you about the throw. You missed the throw. You had to run and get it --

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: It's funny. The reason I actually missed it and I threw too far was because on the 18th hole at Pinehurst I left it short, so I'm like, I'm going to make sure I throw it -- I'm like, oh, crap, there's boards above it, and I just didn't throw it that well, so clearly I'm not meant for baseball. I'm meant for golf.

Q. On 16 tee you pulled your club and some people were kind of upset it wasn't a driver. Does that ever bug you or does that make you laugh that they want to see the driver so bad?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I want to see the driver but it's not the right play to make birdie on the hole. I could get lucky maybe, but I'm still trying to play strategic golf and win this golf tournament, but I just tell them, just go to the next hole; you'll see it on the next hole.

Q. It was a 3-wood?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: It was a 5-wood actually. Smoked it.

Q. Wednesday morning I feel like things were still peaking for you, the traveling, getting in here to Nashville and all of that, and there was a special moment where you could tell the magnitude was sort of sinking in a little bit and sort of got a little emotional. But you said, I don't want to cry here. I haven't cried yet, and I don't want to do that here. I'm just curious has there been a moment of quiet yet? Has there been an ounce of breath for you to take some self-reflection time and soak up what has happened, or is the whirlwind still in full effect and you really haven't had that sort of quiet space to yourself to really reflect on everything?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: There was a moment a couple nights ago where I was sitting in my room and I had the trophy there, and I got sent a picture of my dad, myself and my brother Garrett. My mom is in town here, too. So just getting that sense and feeling from that individual that texted me in that moment where it was quiet for about 10 minutes, I started to lose it a little bit, and then I had to go to a dinner literally 10 minutes later, so I had to clean myself up and take care of it. So I haven't let it out yet, but I'm sure at some point this week, maybe Sunday night, I don't know, but it'll be a special moment.