In praise of Bryson DeChambeau

Bryson DeChambeau was already a good golfer and somewhat of a personality with his meticulous, analytical style. Late last year he saw an opportunity to take his game to the next level by increasing his swing speed. This year, given 3 months at and nothing better to do, he bulked up and revamped his game.

On Sunday he won the Rocket Mortgage Classic by three strokes. His performance was a revelation to some. He was routinely bombing the ball 350 yards off the tee, and hitting high iron approach shots on par 5s.

A corner of the golf world is already fretting over this. I can understand why they would want the game to be played a certain way, consistent with the way it's always been played. What I don't understand is the "competitive advantage" argument. Competitive advantage is built in to every sport. Every player has advantages that he tries to leverage against the golf course. Not everyone can drive the ball 350 yards. Not everyone can stick their approach shots. Not everyone can hit out of a bunker. Not everyone can read the break on a putt. Without competitive advantage, the idea of competition no longer applies.

Say what you want about whether power golf is good or bad for the game. DeChambeau took a big risk and it worked for him. For one weekend, he was the best golfer in the world, and it was because of the work he put in. That effort and boldness are hard to duplicate, even for talented professionals for whom .

That's the point of greatness. Not everyone can reach it.

It remains to be seen if DeChambeau's new style of play is sustainable or will translate to major tournaments, like the Masters. In the unlikely event his career takes off and he dominates like Tiger Woods, the golf community would be wise to embrace him, much like it did Tiger. It would not only increase interest in golf, but highlight the factors contributing to greatness that can be duplicated by us commoners, like discipline, craft, and hard work.

That's my approach to writing, and the results speak to that. If you like hard sci-fi, check out my books Seeds of Calamity and Tendrils to the Moon. You can find extended previews for each here and here.