If there’s one thing most golf fans know about Bryson DeChambeau, it’s that he has a particular way of doing things. Single-length clubs, late-night range sessions, precise wind and slope calculations and more.
So, really, is it that surprising that his golf bag is among the heaviest on the PGA Tour? You gotta come prepared, right? Right.
DeChambeau’s caddie, Brian Zeigler, was this week’s guest on GOLF’s Subpar podcast and unveiled lots of great insight regarding what it’s like caddying for DeChambeau, how they got together and more. At one point, co-host Colt Knost asked Zeigler if he wished DeChambeau’s bag was lighter. Knost brought up a moment at the WGC in Memphis earlier this summer, in which DeChambeau was grouped with Dustin Johnson. Austin Johnson, Dustin’s caddie/brother, happened to walk by Knost and referenced DeChambeau’s nearby bag.
“Dude, pick up Bryson’s bag,” Austin said, according to Knost. “This thing is a f—— joke.”
So, back to the question. Does Zeigler wish it was lighter?
“All the time,” he said. [Laughs]
Zeigler said it’s actually heavier for practice rounds than it is on tournament days.
“It’s got to weigh 55 pounds,” Zeigler said. “It’s not positioned very well. It’s like the straps are super long. And what I learned too is that I’m the smallest caddie on Tour. There are like three or four guys that are like my size or smaller. … This strap is so long, and the bag I can never get it to sit on my hips. So it’s always in the shortest setting and it’s always up and I’m so hunched over.”
He added that he works out with his day job in mind.
“Because if I didn’t do anything to get stronger, like, I couldn’t do this job for a long period of time, because I’m just not tall enough or big enough to do it,” he continued. “I’m actually in a big bulking phase right now. I’m trying to get up to 165 [pounds] by the time I get to Hawaii [in January]. That’s 10 pounds [to gain]. That’s a lot.”
A 55-pound bag?! That’s a lot of protein shakes, gadgets, golf balls and more. Maybe DeChambeau can learn how to get rid of a few things here, with our handy list of unnecessary items weighing down your golf bag.
As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.