Richard Teder wanted to meet Bryson DeChambeau first. He’d maybe ask for a picture.
And if they hit it off?
They’d hit. Hit hit.
“If I could have a long drive competition with that guy,” Teder told a GOLF.com reporter, “that would be sick.”
He was fantasizing a few days after his first viral moment, a hole-out-from-the-fairway eagle that concluded an Open Championship final qualifier, landed him a spot this week at Royal Portrush and made the 20-year-old amateur the first-ever Estonian to play in any of golf’s majors. What had really gotten Teder to Northern Ireland, though, was distance. Seemingly every pound of him pounds away at the ball, and the results are jarring. His clubhead speed, he said, touches 127 mph. He can carry it over plenty of trouble.
Much like DeChambeau.
Whom Teder stood next to Monday afternoon on the Royal Portrush range.
It’s funny how these things can happen. Eventually, the duo dueled, just as Teder had hoped. They locked drivers, so to say. Ahead of it, Teder said he thought he’d compete with DeChambeau. “I’ve gained some speed over the last couple of years,” he said. “I think he’s going to get me by a little bit, but not much, though.” Now, he’d see.
Three swings were captured on video and posted on Teder’s Instagram account. DeChambeau hit first. “Thirty-one-year-old man here,” he said. He club-waggled twice. He hit. He grunted. He looked at his launch monitor. He said, “Oops.” To his right was Teder. Behind them were their teams. Behind their teams were some fans, who ooh’ed when DeChambeau’s numbers were posted to a video board.
B. DeChambeau
Flat Carry
349 yds
Ball Speed
200 mph
Launch
9 deg
Apex
107 ft
Hang Time
7.1 sec
Curve
161 ft
Said a member of DeChambeau’s team: “They like the carry.”
Said DeChambeau: “They love the carry.”
Teder was next. DeChambeau let him use his launch monitor. Teder shuffled left and right, building momentum, then hit. His club recoiled back. DeChambeau looked at the numbers. The video board eventually showed them.
R. Teder
Flat Carry
349 yds
Ball Speed
199 mph
Launch
13 deg
Apex
136 ft
Hang Time
7.6 sec
Curve
42 ft
The flat carry number was the same. The crowd ooh’ed again. Said a member of Teder’s team: “Ooh, Teddy, we’re tied. Both at 349, all right.”
The video showed one more swing, from DeChambeau. He again club-waggled twice. He again hit. He shouted, “Ohhhh!” Teder looked at DeChambeau’s launch monitor. Together, they looked at the video board.
B. DeChambeau
Flat Carry
388 yds
Ball Speed
198 mph
Launch
10 deg
Apex
128 ft
Hang Time
7.4 sec
Curve
160 ft
The crowd cheered. DeChambeau signaled to them.
And Teder slapped his hand. He wrote this on the Instagram post:
“I can’t believe i just had a long drive competition with my favourite player on the planet… This is something i have always dreamed of… @brysondechambeau you have made this week even more special for me than it’s already been… Bryson = 388yd carry Me = 363yd carry I’ll get you next time”
