Charles Schwab Challenge
Friday, June 12, 2020
Bryson DeChambeau
Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Bryson DeChambeau into the interview room, 5-under par today and currently one shot off the lead. If we can get some comments on your round today.
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Yeah, I drove it pretty well and hit my wedges pretty close to the hole today. Was pleased with that. You know, it was fun being able to bomb it out there and hit it in the fairway most of the time.
I felt like I just picked away the golf course. It wasn't anything crazy out there, but when I needed to make pars or make a crucial 10-footer, I did it when I needed to, and just kept the train rolling today.
Q. Stacked leaderboard going into the weekend; going to be an exciting weekend. Talk a little bit about that.
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Yeah, there's a lot of great players up there. Looking forward to an amazing challenge. I've always liked this golf course, but for some reason I haven't played my best here. I'm looking to change that this week.
Q. What did you think of the reaction from the fans in the grandstand on 16?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: (Laughing) I thought it was amazing what they did, saying I was coming in at 300 or whatever pounds, that was funny. I really enjoyed that. It's fun to have people rooting for you every once in a while out there. We don't get that very much right now.
Q. You posted a lot on social media during quarantine; how was the time away beneficial for you?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Yeah, I wanted to kind of provide an insight into what I did during quarantine. I felt like it was time to not only just sit back and enjoy life but attack life at the same point in time. I felt it was necessary to show people what I was doing to hopefully inspire people and provide hope during times of great stress and trauma for a lot of people and families.
Q. I was just wondering, with your added length, are there certain holes out here now that present certain problems that you didn't have to worry about before because you weren't getting to those spots? And I guess maybe at 18, you got pretty close to the lake.
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Yeah, I was not trying to do that. I pulled the drive on 18, and I knew I could get there if it went through the trees, and I was lucky enough it didn't go in the water, but that's something I'm going to have to be cautious of tomorrow depending on the wind. If it's pumping into the wind I wouldn't get it there, but if there's no wind I've got to make sure I stay right and draw it around the lake if I'm going to do that. But there's been a lot of holes, like for example 6, I can just drive it all the way up past those bunkers and have a nice little flip wedge in there. 15, fly it over the bunkers, have a nice little flip wedge in there. 14, I had 100 yards in today. I mean, it's just stuff that is so beneficial when you get out here. You've got those bunkers and hazards in the way and I wanted to make those obsolete.
Q. Bryson, you kind of raised a question; how close were the fans to your weight, getting it right?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: They were quite a bit off, but they said like something around 350 area, and they're 100 pounds off. I'm only 235 to 240 right now. I think when I play these next three weeks, I'll get down to 230, but my ultimate goal is to get as strong as I can, and I don't know what that weight is. I'm just going to keep proportionally making everything stronger and applying some force and speed to the golf swing to see what it can handle. I've had to change my lofts like crazy recently. I'm down to 5½ degrees on the driver. I'm looking to go get a 3-wood that's around 10 degrees, so it's just these -- I'm producing so much spin I have to change the clubs itself. It's crazy.
Q. That kind of addressed another question. I was curious with your physique change how much that's affected your equipment. Is it just those two, driver and 3-wood, or has there been any other changes?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: No, all the irons have delofted. My 4-iron is a 17½ degree, and I produce 4,000 spin. It's just that speed and deflection and all that. It's crazy stuff that I would have never expected to happen, but I've had to make adjustments because loft is irrelevant, it's really about your launch angle and spin right coming off of the ball, and the ball speed. Pretty much that's all that matters.
Q. The other thing I wanted to ask you, we've seen images, but do you know how much you weighed when you first came out of SMU? And secondly, how many clothes have you had to buy, assuming you've actually had to buy stuff?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Well, I've gone up two sizes. I was a medium starting last year, at the end of last year actually, and now I'm in an extra large. It's a little big fit on me depending on the style of shirt, but I love it. It feels comfortable. My back honestly in this XL fits perfect. So I have had to change some stuff. Puma has been really nice to give me some clothing so don't really have to worry too much about that.
What was the other question?
Q. We've seen images of the difference in you --
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: College, yes. Yeah, I was like 199 to 198, and now I'm 235 to 240.
Q. Or 350 depending on who you listen to.
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Yeah, whatever. You can say whatever you want. I just put a 100-pound weight on my back, and there you go, I'm 350.
Q. This is a little bit off the beaten path; I'm curious what your reaction was is to what the PGA TOUR has done with the first responders' names on the back of the caddie bibs in recognition of them, and just essentially what your reaction was and what you think that was as a gesture for the TOUR?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Well, I think it's important to realize who the true heroes are. They are on the front lines fighting this pandemic and they do it every single day. We're just out here playing golf. We're trying to respect the rules and guidelines that we've all had to deal with in the past couple months during the quarantine and all that, and I think the PGA TOUR and everybody around the PGA TOUR is doing a great job, testing everyone, making sure everybody is ready to go. That's the way to do it, so I'm proud of the PGA TOUR and happy to be a part of it.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your time. Best of luck this weekend.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #166 at 2020-06-12 23:01:00 GMT
