Chill.
On a purple background, in white letters, at about 11 a.m. on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, that was the word, among a few others, from Bryson DeChambeau, who, a day earlier, withdrew before the start of the second round of the Saudi International with what the event said were left hand and left hip injuries. A week earlier, at the Farmers Insurance Open, DeChambeau was visibly holding his left wrist and rubbing his lower back, and apparently, he had heard the speculation that the injuries were tied to his additions of size and swing speed just under two years ago.
To which he wrote at 3 a.m ET:
“Everyone needs to chill. Yes I hurt myself but not from hitting it far. I slipped and fell this week on Tuesday unfortunately. I know people probably won’t believe me, but that is the truth. I will be back stronger and better than ever in a few weeks. Thank you for the hospitality @saudiintgolf. Thank you for your concerns and keep hitting bombs!! I will be back …”
An hour later, DeChambeau wrote, “truth,” and shared this comment on his post:
“For those jumping on the ‘it was only a matter of time until he got injured’ bandwagon. Here’s the truth from @brysondechambeau.”
During Thursday’s first round of the Saudi, DeChambeau shot a 73, and Golf Channel announcers at the event said that he had tweaked a hamstring earlier in the week. His withdrawal came before the start of Friday’s second round, and Saturday’s Instagram post was his first comment on the WD.
It follows a rocky start to the year. After a tie for 25th at the 38-player Tournament of Champions at the start of January, DeChambeau entered, then pulled himself out of the Sony Open the next week, citing the left wrist injury. On his YouTube channel, DeChambeau said that it was “a precautionary measure” and that he could have played.
He took two weeks off, then played the Farmers, where, on the 10th hole at Torrey Pines, during his second round, DeChambeau hit his tee shot left, shouted and reached for his lower back with his left arm. Over the next nine holes, Golf Channel cameras repeatedly showed him rubbing his wrist and reaching for his back, and after a shot from a fairway bunker on the 12th hole, DeChambeau yelled, “I can’t play golf today.” He did birdie his final two holes, but missed the cut, and afterward, he did not talk to reporters at the event.
What’s going on with Bryson? DeChambeau WDs again with injuries
All of which led to the speculation the injuries were tied to his distance pursuit. In June of 2020, after the PGA Tour’s three-month hiatus, DeChambeau returned with a revamped body and swing, and over the past two seasons, he has led the Tour in driving distance.
“Something is biting him down there,” analyst Nick Faldo said on Golf Channel’s broadcast of the second round of the Farmers, after DeChambeau’s tee shot on the 10th.
“He’s giving it a go,” analyst Arron Oberholser said on the broadcast midway through the back nine. “Which I don’t know if in the long run that’s smart. Hands and wrists you don’t want to mess around with.”
On the YouTube video, in which he also visited his trainer, Greg Roskopf, DeChambeau admitted that he has “been going pretty hard at the golf swing,” but that he had done so with his body in mind, too.
“My core, my trunk rotation and flexion is something that’s gone off on me and been really bad about four-five years ago,” DeChambeau said on the video. “But I’ve been able to fix it and work through it over the past few years. I’ve learned a lot how to band-aid my back with [Roskopf].”
