Bryson DeChambeau and Donald Trump released a viral golf video. How’d that happen?!

On Tuesday, golf’s most recent U.S. Open champion tweeted out a clarification: the collaboration video he’d just released had, in fact, been filmed before the assassination attempt on his playing partner’s life.

These are strange times. In golf, in politics, and in the center of their Venn diagram, which came in the form of a YouTube video released on Tuesday, July 23.

The United States has never quite had a president like Donald Trump, professional golf has never quite had a figure like Bryson DeChambeau, and golf’s corner of YouTube has never had a video quite like the “Break 50” challenge the two put out on DeChambeau’s page this week. It’s safe to say people were intrigued; as of Thursday afternoon the video had accrued more than seven million views.

So how’d the round come together? It began with the handicap argument heard ’round the world at the first presidential debate.

But first, some relevant backstory: Trump and DeChambeau go way back; the two have been friendly for years and DeChambeau displayed the Trump logo on his bag until 2021. After his 2020 U.S. Open victory at Winged Foot, DeChambeau’s Sunday night party was held at Trump’s club 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 played with the former president in LIV pro-ams and elsewhere. Theirs was hardly a chance encounter.

But the inspiration for this video came after Trump and Biden squared off on CNN. DeChambeau spoke to the press ahead of LIV Golf’s UK event on Thursday and recalled the timeline; his team 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 two broke from policy to talk golf games — Biden, Trump said, “can’t hit a ball 50 yards,” while Biden countered that “I got my handicap, which, when I was vice president, down to a 6″ — and the moment quickly went viral.

Let’s settle this whole handicap debate, I’ll host the golf match on my YouTube @realDonaldTrump @JoeBiden

— Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) June 28, 2024

DeChambeau teased at his plans in real time, suggesting a match between Trump and Biden. While Biden didn’t accept the offer — not surprising; there’s no record of him playing in the last several years — Trump, who’s a regular at several of his own clubs, accepted within days. The debate was June 27th. They filmed the “Break 50” challenge on July 6th. A few weeks later it was released on DeChambeau’s YouTube page and pushed him over a milestone he’s been chasing: one million subscribers.

On Thursday DeChambeau stressed that the video was about golf and about content and not intended as any sort of political statement. In these fractured times, that’s an impossibility — but throughout the video DeChambeau keeps the focus away from the polls. (Trump largely does, too, tossing a dig at Biden early on but mostly sticking to golf-guy questions like why so many pros hit cuts with driver or what the angle of attack is on DeChambeau’s putts.)

“First off, it’s an honor to play with anybody of that type of influence, no matter who it is on any political side,” DeChambeau said on Thursday. “Again, this whole content piece, it’s a content creation piece, was about delivering some unique different content on YouTube, and we wanted to showcase the golf abilities of any influential person, and he was definitely up on a list that I wanted to showcase.

“We were able to call out and ask him to play, and he said ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ We asked the other side, as well, and anyone that wants to play. They’re more than willing to do something for charity.”

Part of the video served as a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. That was one motivation, DeChambeau said. Trump’s popularity (or notoriety, depending on your point of view) was another.

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“He’s obviously a figure that can pull a lot of views, and we thought it would be great to showcase his golfing ability, and he’s a pretty good golfer,” DeChambeau said. “It was a lot of fun to do, and it took a little bit, but we got it approved and it was fun to shoot.”

[SPOILER ALERT]

The challenge takes DeChambeau and a playing partner to the forward tees and they play a scramble from there, attempting to break 50. At Trump Bedminster’s par-72 layout, they shot 22 under par, shooting 50 on the number. While internet commenters were quick to roast Trump’s unorthodox putting stroke, he showcased some ball-striking consistency and even made eagle 2 on a 210-yard par-4.

DeChambeau stressed, again, that he would welcome a counterpart from the political left.

“Whether it’s Obama or anyone else on that side, I’m more than willing to play with them. I have no issues whatsoever. That’s the thing about golf is that the more we can utilize golf to bring everyone together in a cool way, I think that’s the vision of the global game of golf,” he said.

He acknowledged the radioactivity that comes with bringing a presidential candidate into this particular arena — “Politicians are divisive figures for sure and I respect and understand that,” he said — but DeChambeau shrugged off any deeper implications, again citing charity and content.

“That’s where we were mainly focused on, trying to take the politics all out of it and just going, let’s create some amazing fun content for people to see some cool, fun, entertaining shots.”

There would have been plenty of attention on a DeChambeau-Trump video no matter the timeline, but there was extra scrutiny given the attempt on his life on July 13th, a week after the match was filmed. Once commenters made note of the fact that Trump’s ear appeared undamaged, DeChambeau issued his clarification: the video was filmed “before I traveled overseas and prior to the incident that occurred in Butler, PA.”

To confirm and clear any speculation, the Break 50 video with @realDonaldTrump was filmed during the first week of July, before I traveled overseas and prior to the incident that occurred in Butler, PA.

— Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) July 23, 2024

But things were all smiles in the video and in Thursday’s press availability, where, things really went off the rails when DeChambeau was asked if he had any future political ambitions of his own.

“I mean, look, DJT obviously said he’d never do it, and he’s obviously doing it now. You never know the positions of things, and they may change down the road,” DeChambeau said before picking up on the incredulous reactions of his LIV teammates and cracking a grin. “For me, probably not. I don’t think so. I’m going to golf and play golf for the rest of my life,” he said.

“Just thinking about it gives us chills,” said Anirban Lahiri, sitting beside him.

“He’s struggling to run a team right now, let alone anything else,” Paul Casey added, shaking his head.

Instruction

DeChambeau is no stranger to controversy; his jump from the PGA Tour to LIV earned mixed reviews at best. But in recent months he has tapped into a new audience, growing a legion of loyal YouTube subscribers. He’s performed at the game’s biggest events, too, and in the process of contending at the Masters and PGA Championships and then winning at the U.S. Open DeChambeau endeared himself to golf fans as a decidedly different type of showman and a breath of fresh air in a sport that needs it. It’s been a big summer, in other words, for the big golfer.

Lahiri was honest in his appraisal of his team captain, who he described as one of a kind.

“I guess he’s an enigma, honestly, even to us,” he said. “Even he doesn’t truly understand who he is yet.”

A certain segment of the golfing populace knows exactly what DeChambeau is: must-see TV. Must-see YouTube, at least.

“Bryson is obviously — he’s the bomb,” Lahiri said. “He’s the explosion that can go off at any point in time. You make what you want of that statement, but it’s true in every which way.”

Seven million people would agree. And counting.

You can watch the Trump-Bryson video here, or our own Warming Up interview with DeChambeau below.