DeChambeau, the busiest man in golf, chasing both trophies and side quests

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Since last month’s PGA Championship, Bryson DeChambeau has embarked on multiple off-course adventures. Taking laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Flying helicopters to collect salt from Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. Hitting golf balls earlier this week on the lawn of the White House.

“I’ve been doing some fun side quests, there’s no doubt,” the Crushers GC captain acknowledged Wednesday while prepping for this week’s LIV Golf Virginia presented by Maaden.

Those side quests provide fodder for his incredibly popular social media platforms. Of course, the main quest for DeChambeau remains the chase for trophies.

He was successful in LIV Golf’s most recent event in Korea, capturing his third career LIV Golf individual title, and he’d love to extend the winning streak this week at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and then follow at next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he’s the defending champion.

In the balance between competition and entertainment, DeChambeau hasn’t forgotten which is more important. “I still got to do my job, which is make sure my game is in top form,” he said. “… I want to compete, and I want to entertain. Those are the two things that I love doing.”

He’s certainly having fun at both.

During his helicopter trip to the salt flats in Utah for Bucked Up (a sports nutrition and lifestyle brand), he not only hit golf balls off the surface, he collected salt samples and took them back home to his new house in the Dallas area.

The samples aren’t just souvenirs.

I'm using it for some of the meals I'm using,” DeChambeau said, “so I'm literally using it, which is really cool.” 

Perhaps the most surreal moment for DeChambeau came during his visit to the White House, where he was invited to showcase his skills by the President.

“Incredibly special,” DeChambeau said. “I never thought I would ever in my life get an opportunity to do it, but the President himself was like, just go out there and hit some shots. I was like, ‘OK, yes, sir.’ It was 105 yards, and I hit a few good shots to a couple feet and almost made a few of them, too.” 

In addition to his ambitious adventures outside of professional golf, DeChambeau is also busy creating engaging content for his YouTube channel, which has over 2 million subscribers.  

“I'm incredibly grateful,” he said. “There's no other words about it. Did I ever think it would get this big? I had no clue. I really had no idea.

“Is it now an incredible responsibility? Yes. And I understand that. I want to continue to entertain my fans and continue to play the great game of golf that we all love at the highest level.”

As he prepares for the stern test that awaits at Oakmont, the 2020 and 2024 U.S. Open champion has found a way to balancing his bustling off-course schedule with his golf career.  

Since the start of the 2024 season, DeChambeau has been one of the best major championship performers in the world. In his past six major starts, the 31-year-old has not finished worse than T6 outside of a lone missed cut at the 2024 Open Championship. The other five starts include a win, two runner-up finishes, a T5 and a T6.  

And with LIV Golf starting the second half of the season this week in Virginia, DeChambeau finds himself in second place in the season-long points race behind Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann.

Those two will be in the final group off the first tee with Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm (third in points) for Friday’s opening round in Virginia.

“It's going to be a good challenge for me because I know how bad he wants to catch me on the rankings, and obviously I am trying to run away, in a way,” Niemann said. “For me, it's exciting to have that pressure from him, knowing how good of a player he is, and it just gets me excited to keep working hard and play better.”

Despite a frenetic lifestyle, DeChambeau said he still finds the time to rest, due to his meticulous scheduling.  

“How do I find time to sleep? I actually sleep quite well,” he said. “It's a lot of planning. We prepare, strategize and execute accordingly with these game plans, and when things work based upon other people's schedules,” he shared. “But I'd say a lot of it's just preparation, making sure that I can get the right rest so I'm ready for the next day.”  

DeChambeau knows himself well enough to understand when it’s time to sharpen his game or to tackle more off-course ventures.  

“I monitor that, and if I'm not hitting the ball very well, I focus more on that; and if I'm hitting it really well, I focus more on some side quests,” he said.

Wherever DeChambeau’s “side quests” lead him next, his relentless work ethic and discipline ensures his golf game will remain in peak form.