Bryson DeChambeau has gone some way to backing up his controversial 'par 67' comments about Augusta National, after impressing on day one of the Masters on Thursday.
Part of the early wave, DeChambeau stormed into the lead in round one, carding a superb seven-under-par 65. The American flew out the blocks from the beginning, starting his week with three birdies in three holes, as the wind began to swirl around the iconic Georgia course.
DeChambeau continued to settle into his opening round, before his one and only blemish of the day came just before the turn, as he made a frustrating bogey at the par-four ninth.
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Two pars then followed at 10 and 11, before the LIV Golf star restarted the birdie train at the par-three 12th. Another then followed at the par-five 15th, before he made three more birdies at 15, 16 and 17, as the man usually known for his big hitting did the talking with his short game.
He ended his round with a two-putt par to cap off an impressive start to his hunt for the green jacket. DeChambeau's relationship with the tournament has been somewhat of a fractured one, especially after the LIV star raised eyebrows when discussing Augusta back in 2020.
Thanks to his big-hitting attributes, DeChambeau claimed the par-72 course was a par-67 for him personally. “I can reach all the par fives in two, no problem,” he told the Golf Channel at the time. “If the conditions stay the way they are, that’s what I feel like par is for me.”
Unsurprisingly the LIV star went on to regret his comments, after struggling to find his best form in the years following. DeChambeau finished in a tie for 46th in 2021, before going on to miss back-to-back cuts in 2022 and 2023. After Thursday's start though, it looks as if the American has all but confirmed his weekend spot.
Doubt had been cast over DeChambeau and his fellow LIV stars since making the decision to make the Saudi switch, however the American has continued to prove the breakaway stars can compete alongside their PGA Tout rivals. Speaking post-round, an up-beat DeChambeau told Sky Sports: "It was a great test of golf.
"The wind is picking up and it is a brutal challenge out there but I was lucky to get a couple of lucky breaks on the back nine. I put it in some good places and it... Strategy out here, I think it sometimes can go unnoticed. People think you can just bomb it and whatnot, but you need to be able to place it out here."
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