Trump and DeChambeau are comfortable with one another, which surely was a factor in Trump’s agreeing to play the round. The setting also would have appealed to Trump: his northern New Jersey club — Trump Bedminster — in rolling horse country just west of New York City. Getting four hours on the schedule of a former president who’s campaigning for a second presidency is no small ask. But when you can execute the event on his home turf and, in Trump’s case, on one of his home courses, which he’s always eager to promote, the barrier to entry gets considerably lower. With the election less than four months away, Trump presumably also liked the idea of getting in front of a bloc of young voters.
Whatever the motivation, Trump said yes, and sometime in early July, he and DeChambeau convened at Bedminster to shoot the video.
Trump is a professional schmoozer. (This is not said with malice. Biden is, too; it’s how most politicians are wired.) He’s a master at working a room and identifying and seizing a moment. Trump can work a golf course, too. At LIV events at his courses, he’ll pace the range and glad-hand players. He came up the Big Apple real-estate ranks hobnobbing with celebrities, so he’s not awed by them. Same goes for world-class golfers. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Ernie Els, Lexi Thompson — Trump has played with all of them, and smart money says he wasn’t jittery on the eves of any of those rounds.
Trump didn’t look nervous in his “Break 50” episode as he warmed up on Bedminster’s range beside the reigning U.S. Open champion. After hitting a few balls, Trump walked toward DeChambeau and said to a small crowd of onlookers: “Come on, let’s see him rip it. Longest hitter by far — by far. I know ’em all.”
After DeChambeau blasted a drive, Trump found a camera, leaned into the lens and said, “It’s very lonnnng, folks, very long.” He drew out his words for effect.
Trump knows how to engage an audience. So, too, does DeChambeau, which has helped power his YouTube success. Sure, his full-send drives help generate views, but DeChambeau’s accessible persona is also key. He talks to his audience as if they’re in on the challenges with him, employing “we” far more than “I” — as in we could really use an eagle here. When putts burn edges, he’ll raise his arms in stunned disbelief as if he’s just blown a major. In Trump’s “Break 50” round, when Trump holed a birdie putt on 18 to get him and DeChambeau to — spoiler alert! — 22 under, DeChambeau theatrically dropped to the ground and said, “Oh…my…gosh.” Are the emotions real? Embellished? Somewhere in between? Does it even matter? It’s all part of the show. On YouTube, big personalities sell.
Clever formats do, too. And “Break 50” has just that. With pushed-up tees, DeChambeau turns every par-5 into a short par-4, most par-4s into par-3s and most par-3 into flip wedges. On the par-5s and -4s, birdies are nearly automatic and eagles gettable. But even with the shortened setups and contributions from his partners, shooting 49 or better has remained elusive for DeChambeau — but not so elusive that it feels unattainable. It’s the perfect target, one that keeps viewers on the hook.
There’s at least one other big reason why the Trump episode is so captivating: It shines a bright light on Trump’s game, which was a source of debate long before June 27. Close followers of the game know that Trump is a proficient golfer, but there has long been speculation about just how proficient.
When Trump and Biden clashed at the podium last month, Trump claimed that he’d recently “won two club championships — not even senior — two regular club championships.” Trump’s round with DeChambeau, which shows each of Trump’s shots over 18 holes, lets viewers make up their own minds about the former president’s golf talent. Here are a few takeaways that are beyond dispute: He hits a reliable fade off the tee; at 78, he still has impressive pop; his short irons, which he hits with an exaggerated step-through a la Gary Player, look sound. And his putting stroke? Unconventional would be a generous descriptor. But all in all, he can still play.
Some skeptics questioned whether some of Trump’s shots were edited out of the final cut and replaced with second or third attempts. Anything’s possible. But it also should be noted that Trump’s round, as depicted, wasn’t all fairways and greens; it included a couple of fatted wedges and blocked drives.
DeChambeau and Trump shared a cart, which afforded them time for small talk. DeChambeau shared tales of his previous runs at breaking 50 and his appreciation for colonial history; Trump revealed his fondness for Frank Sinatra, Patrick Reed and maple trees. On the drive from the 11th green to the 12th tee, DeChambeau asked Trump why he likes golf. “I hit it straight, I hit it onto the green and I putt well,” Trump said. “And you know what it does: It takes everything off your brain.”
DeChambeau and Trump eagled the 12th, a par-4, and in the closing six holes made one more eagle and five birdies to shoot an even 50, one agonizing shot short of their mark. DeChambeau’s next run at his white whale? He’s already thinking about who can help him haul it in. On Wednesday, he tweeted, “Who should I have on the next episode?”
