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:
âEveryone 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 wonât 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 â¦â
An hour later, DeChambeau wrote, âtruth,â and shared this comment on his post:
âFor those jumping on the âit was only a matter of time until he got injuredâ bandwagon. Hereâs the truth from @brysondechambeau.â
During Thursdayâs 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 Fridayâs second round, and Saturdayâs 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 âa precautionary measureâ 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, âI canât play golf today.â He did birdie his final two holes, but missed the cut, and afterward, he did not talk to reporters at the event.
All of which led to the speculation the injuries were tied to his distance pursuit. In June of 2020, after the PGA Tourâs 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.
âSomething is biting him down there,â analyst Nick Faldo said on Golf Channelâs broadcast of the second round of the Farmers, after DeChambeauâs tee shot on the 10th.
âHeâs giving it a go,â analyst Arron Oberholser said on the broadcast midway through the back nine. âWhich I donât know if in the long run thatâs smart. Hands and wrists you donât want to mess around with.â
On the YouTube video, in which he also visited his trainer, Greg Roskopf, DeChambeau admitted that he has âbeen going pretty hard at the golf swing,â but that he had done so with his body in mind, too.
âMy core, my trunk rotation and flexion is something thatâs gone off on me and been really bad about four-five years ago,â DeChambeau said on the video. âBut Iâve been able to fix it and work through it over the past few years. Iâve learned a lot how to band-aid my back with [Roskopf].â