Bryson DeChambeau / YouTube
On Tuesday, golf’s most up-to-date U.S. Open champion tweeted out a clarification: the collaboration video he’d simply launched had, actually, been filmed earlier than the assassination try on his enjoying companion’s life.
These are unusual instances. In golf, in politics, and within the heart of their Venn diagram, which got here within the type of a YouTube video launched on Tuesday, July 23.
The USA has by no means fairly had a president like Donald Trump, skilled golf has by no means fairly had a determine like Bryson DeChambeau, and golf’s nook of YouTube has by no means had a video fairly just like the “Break 50” problem the 2 put out on DeChambeau’s web page this week. It’s secure to say folks have been intrigued; as of Thursday afternoon the video had accrued greater than seven million views.
So how’d the spherical come collectively? It started with the handicap argument heard ’around the world on the first presidential debate.
However first, some related backstory: Trump and DeChambeau go manner again; the 2 have been pleasant for years and DeChambeau displayed the Trump emblem on his bag till 2021. After his 2020 U.S. Open victory at Winged Foot, DeChambeau’s Sunday evening get together was held at Trump’s membership in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. After his 2024 U.S. Open victory at Pinehurst, DeChambeau shared a victory chug with Eric Trump in New York. DeChambeau has performed with the previous president in LIV pro-ams and elsewhere. Theirs was hardly an opportunity encounter.
However the inspiration for this video got here after Trump and Biden squared off on CNN. DeChambeau spoke to the press forward of LIV Golf’s UK occasion on Thursday and recalled the timeline; his crew reached out to the Biden and Trump camps shortly after the presidential debate between Trump and President Biden on June 27. In that debate, the 2 broke from coverage to speak golf video games — Biden, Trump mentioned, “can’t hit a ball 50 yards,” whereas Biden countered that “I obtained my handicap, which, once I was vp, right down to a 6″ — and the second shortly went viral.
DeChambeau teased at his plans in actual time, suggesting a match between Trump and Biden. Whereas Biden didn’t settle for the supply — not stunning; there’s no file of him enjoying within the final a number of years — Trump, who’s an everyday at a number of of his personal golf equipment, accepted inside days. The controversy was June twenty seventh. They filmed the “Break 50” problem on July sixth. A couple of weeks later it was launched on DeChambeau’s YouTube web page and pushed him over a milestone he’s been chasing: a million subscribers.
On Thursday DeChambeau careworn that the video was about golf and about content material and never meant as any kind of political assertion. In these fractured instances, that’s an impossibility — however all through the video DeChambeau retains the main target away from the polls. (Trump largely does, too, tossing a dig at Biden early on however largely sticking to golf-guy questions like why so many professionals hit cuts with driver or what the angle of assault is on DeChambeau’s putts.)
“First off, it’s an honor to play with anyone of that sort of affect, regardless of who it’s on any political facet,” DeChambeau mentioned on Thursday. “Once more, this entire content material piece, it’s a content material creation piece, was about delivering some distinctive totally different content material on YouTube, and we wished to showcase the golf talents of any influential particular person, and he was undoubtedly up on a listing that I wished to showcase.
“We have been in a position to name out and ask him to play, and he mentioned ‘Yeah, completely.’ We requested the opposite facet, as nicely, and anybody that desires to play. They’re greater than prepared to do one thing for charity.”
A part of the video served as a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Venture. That was one motivation, DeChambeau mentioned. Trump’s reputation (or notoriety, relying in your standpoint) was one other.
“He’s clearly a determine that may pull plenty of views, and we thought it could be nice to showcase his {golfing} capacity, and he’s a fairly good golfer,” DeChambeau mentioned. “It was plenty of enjoyable to do, and it took a bit of bit, however we obtained it permitted and it was enjoyable to shoot.”
[SPOILER ALERT]
The problem takes DeChambeau and a enjoying companion to the ahead tees and so they play a scramble from there, trying to interrupt 50. At Trump Bedminster’s par-72 structure, they shot 22 underneath par, capturing 50 on the quantity. Whereas web commenters have been fast to roast Trump’s unorthodox placing stroke, he showcased some ball-striking consistency and even made eagle 2 on a 210-yard par-4.
DeChambeau careworn, once more, that he would welcome a counterpart from the political left.
“Whether or not it’s Obama or anybody else on that facet, I’m greater than prepared to play with them. I’ve no points in anyway. That’s the factor about golf is that the extra we will make the most of golf to carry everybody collectively in a cool manner, I feel that’s the imaginative and prescient of the worldwide sport of golf,” he mentioned.
He acknowledged the radioactivity that comes with bringing a presidential candidate into this explicit area — “Politicians are divisive figures for certain and I respect and perceive that,” he mentioned — however DeChambeau shrugged off any deeper implications, once more citing charity and content material.
“That’s the place we have been primarily centered on, attempting to take the politics all out of it and simply going, let’s create some superb enjoyable content material for folks to see some cool, enjoyable, entertaining pictures.”
There would have been loads of consideration on a DeChambeau-Trump video regardless of the timeline, however there was additional scrutiny given the try on his life on July thirteenth, per week after the match was filmed. As soon as commenters made observe of the truth that Trump’s ear appeared undamaged, DeChambeau issued his clarification: the video was filmed “earlier than I traveled abroad and previous to the incident that occurred in Butler, PA.”
However issues have been all smiles within the video and in Thursday’s press availability, the place, issues actually went off the rails when DeChambeau was requested if he had any future political ambitions of his personal.
“I imply, look, DJT clearly mentioned he’d by no means do it, and he’s clearly doing it now. You by no means know the positions of issues, and so they could change down the highway,” DeChambeau mentioned earlier than selecting up on the incredulous reactions of his LIV teammates and cracking a smile. “For me, in all probability not. I don’t suppose so. I’m going to golf and play golf for the remainder of my life,” he mentioned.
“Simply eager about it offers us chills,” mentioned Anirban Lahiri, sitting beside him.
“He’s struggling to run a crew proper now, not to mention anything,” Paul Casey added, shaking his head.
DeChambeau is not any stranger to controversy; his soar from the PGA Tour to LIV earned blended critiques at finest. However in latest months he has tapped into a brand new viewers, rising a legion of loyal YouTube subscribers. He’s carried out on the sport’s greatest occasions, too, and within the means of contending on the Masters and PGA Championships after which successful on the U.S. Open DeChambeau endeared himself to golf followers as a decidedly totally different sort of showman and a breath of recent air in a sport that wants it. It’s been a giant summer time, in different phrases, for the large golfer.
Lahiri was trustworthy in his appraisal of his crew captain, who he described as one among a form.
“I assume he’s an enigma, truthfully, even to us,” he mentioned. “Even he doesn’t actually perceive who he’s but.”
A sure phase of {the golfing} populace is aware of precisely what DeChambeau is: must-see TV. Should-see YouTube, at the least.
“Bryson is clearly — he’s the bomb,” Lahiri mentioned. “He’s the explosion that may go off at any cut-off date. You make what you need of that assertion, nevertheless it’s true in each which manner.”
Seven million folks would agree. And counting.
You possibly can watch the Trump-Bryson video right here, or our personal Warming Up interview with DeChambeau under.