On Tuesday at Bethpage Black, DeChambeau drew a huge crowd as he put on a power driving masterclass on the range following his practice round.
I was lucky enough to witness the show in person. Though I don’t typically travel to events as part of my job, my wife and I were lucky enough to attend Tuesday’s Ryder Cup action as fans.
It was my wife’s first pro golf event, but it wasn’t even my first major tournament at the Black Course. Just over 23 years ago, my Dad took me to the 2002 U.S. Open, the first to be played at the A.W. Tillinghast-designed municipal masterpiece.
Over an 18-year period living in New York City, I’d played all of Bethpage’s courses, including one memorable grind on the Black with a foursome of GOLF colleagues. But this was my first time on this special piece of property since 2022.
And despite all of the massive Ryder Cup buildouts, it still felt like the familiar public sanctum that New York golfers have long loved.
It was also hot, with temperatures rising into the 80s, far exceeding the initial weather forecast. Making matters worse, the many hospitality tents on site tended to block the wind, creating a humid atmosphere that no amount of $20 transfusions could overcome.
But we got to see all of Team USA and Team Europe play through several holes, including the iconic par-3s at 14 and 17, and the brutal par-4 15th.
However, the best entertainment was found at the driving range and authored by DeChambeau.
DeChambeau outdrives rival McIlroy at Bethpage range
First off, Bethpage’s normal driving range is not in use this week. It’s far too short for the game’s best players. Instead, a par-4 on one of Bethpage’s other courses has been transformed into the practice facility this week. Because it’s a real golf hole every other week, the range features a small green 330 yards from the hitting area after a modest dogleg right.
The temporary pro range is one of the first things fans see after entering the gates, and one of the last thing’s they see before leaving (other than the massive merchandise tent).
My wife and I sidled up to the right side of the range toward the end of our visit Tuesday, right next to where American Ryder Cupper and reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun was working on his game.
On the opposite end of the range, we spotted DeChambeau also getting in some late practice. This was after playing a practice round with his teammates, and after he had already put on a spontaneous driving exhibition on the 1st tee where he attempted to reach the green.
DeChambeau was working through his bag, progressively moving to longer clubs. On both sides of the range, large video boards allow fans to watch every shot pros hit via shot tracer and a digital rendering of the range. When the video boards started showing Bryson blasting long irons in the 230-yard range, we decided to head over his way.
Fortunately at that early moment, only a dozen or so fans were keyed in on DeChambeau’s session, so we got prime viewing positions. As DeChambeau moved on to his fairway woods, more and more fans heading toward the merch tent stopped and crowded around the area behind the U.S. star.
When DeChambeau finally unshielded his driver, everyone took note, with the simple act of removing the club from his bag drawing cheers.
In a wise move by tournament organizers, the video boards also keep a running list of the longest drives (by carry) from the day, with the top 5 longest drives listed. When Bryson started hitting the big stick, his rival Rory McIlroy was atop the chart after unleashing a drive earlier in the day that carried 335 yards.
He began slow, taking aim at the green at the end of the range and knocking a few drives just left in the vicinity of 330-yard carries. But as the fans began egging him on and pleading for him outdrive McIlroy, DeChambeau took the bait and started unleashing monster drive after monster drive.
As each ball shot off the face of DeChambeau’s driver, fans’ eyes would dart toward the video board, watching his ball soar toward the green on shot tracer and cheering as if each drive was a home-run ball headed toward the outfield fence at nearby Citi Field.
He first surpassed McIlroy with a couple 340-yard carries onto the green, eliciting huge applauses from the crowd.
But while the fans were focused on yardage, DeChambeau and his team were locked in on ball speed. It soon became clear he was trying to reach a mind-bending speed of 200 mph.
Several drives in, DeChambeau nearly did it, blasting a drive that carried 355 yards but just missed 200 mph in ball speed, but the fans ate it up anyway.
Finally, he reared back and gave it all he got, taking a mighty thwack that officially registered 200-mph ball speed on shot tracer. Right after the swing, DeChambeau high-fived some members of his team to celebrate reaching his goal.
But everyone else’s eyes were still locked on the video board.
We all watched as DeChambeau’s blast soared across the digital rendering of the range, eventually thundering down at the back of the green. When the video board registered the carry yardage — a whopping 361 yards — the crowd erupted, with Bryson acknowledging it with a few gestures and shouts back to fans.
While I’d been to Bethpage many times, and played that very hole, I certainly had never witnessed a drive of those monumental proportions in person. In fact, until then I’d never seen DeChambeau swing a club in person.
And I ended up with a surprising takeaway for my own game. Even when it came to his 361-yard drive, DeChambeau’s swing seemed much slower and less violent in person than the thousand times I’ve seen it on TV.
After that, my wife and I headed off to the merch tent for some gear before boarding the shuttle bus and beginning our long drive home.
While I desperately want the Americans to win on this course that I, as all New York golfers, deeply cherish, whatever the score ends up being on Sunday, I’ll never forget that electrifying range session.
As senior managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.
