Was it the kettlebells? A look back at Bryson’s epic ace chase over his house
On the 14th shot of the 16th consecutive day of trying to hit a hole-on-one over his glass-fronted house, Bryson DeChambeau finally fulfilled his quest. It came on his 134th attempt during the two-plus weeks that captivated his large social following, as well as the golf world at large.
And then he rested.
His video the next day again showed him in front of his house, but this time sitting in a chair next to his now-empty practice tee, the song “Linger” accompanying the review of his highlights. “You got me wrapped around your finger” seemed to be an especially appropriate lyric, given the size of the audience.
RELATED: Watch DeChambeau's ace
The 16 consecutive days of videos generated more than 8.5 million views on his YouTube channel and 3.6 million on his Instagram account, as the Crushers GC captain and reigning U.S. Open champion continues to reach fans with compelling and unique content.
Perhaps it took longer than expected, but you shouldn’t be surprised. For all his accomplishments and ability, DeChambeau has never been blessed with much luck in regard to golf’s luckiest shot. When he filled out a player questionnaire in January for the 2024 LIV Golf media guide that asked how many aces he had made in his career, the number was surprising small: 1.
And indeed, fate seemed to be against him several times before shot #134 rolled in. In fact, his single shot on Day 1 finished just a foot away. He had multiple close calls during his seven shots on Day 7, and his 11 shots on Day 11. On his seventh shot on Day 13, the ball actually went into the cup before rebounding out.
“Are you kidding me?” DeChambeau said when told how close he had come. “How does that happen?”
The next day, again on his seventh shot, his ball was tracking to the cup before hitting a ball from one of his previous shots that had landed close. Same thing happened on his 14th and final shot of the day.
In fact, it was his tight shot dispersion that became a negative factor as he added to his attempts total each day. Yet on Day 16, there were fewer balls close to the pin when he hit shot No. 14, giving it room to bounce once and roll in.
Perhaps DeChambeau’s luck also changed on Day 16 when he opted to put two kettlebells on the same side of the practice mat – the first time he had used that positioning on any day. Ostensibly, the kettle bells were used to make sure his mat stayed flat in case of windy conditions … but maybe the golf gods just needed to see the proper alignment.
Whatever the case, shot No. 134 resulted in DeChambeau tossing his cap in the air, running around the left side of his house down to the green, plucking the ball out of the cap and throwing it to … well, we’re not sure where or to whom. And finally, he collapsed on his back on the green. “That’s enough,” he said.
A few more odds and ends from his 16 days:
FAVORITE QUIPS
Day 2: “This is ridiculous.”
Day 3: “How do you feel about not warming up hitting over a glass house? Not great.”
Day 8: “You should quit.”
Day 11: “How many more days am I gonna have to do this?”
Day 15: “I’m gonna have nightmares.”
THE KETTLEBELLS
8 days with 2 kettlebells
4 days with 1 kettlebell
4 days with 0 kettlebells
THE CAPS
11 days white
2 days gray
1 day blue
2 days no cap
10 days forward bill
4 days backward bill
THE TOPS
4 days blue t-shirt
3 days blue polo
3 days black t-shirt
2 days white t-shirt
2 days gray t-shirt
1 day white polo
1 day brownish hoodie
THE SHORTS
12 days light shorts
4 days dark shorts
OH, AND …
1 day wearing flip-flops