By Alex Myers
Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we’re having second thoughts about intermittent fasting. While I’ve lost 10 pounds (Go, me!), Bryson DeChambeau has gained 40. Our golf games, however, are also going in opposite directions. Of course, Bryson’s weight doesn’t come from just stuffing his face (Shout-out to Pablo Sandoval), but from a calculated mix of protein shakes and well, more protein shakes. He could barely put the stuff down even while basking in the glow of his latest win.

So grab some whey and start mixing. We’ve got a lot to get to.

WE’RE BUYING

Bryson DeChambeau: The most talked-about golfer on the PGA Tour since the restart is now the tour’s best player as well. Regardless of weight class. DeChambeau entered the Rocket Mortgage Classic as a huge favourite. He left with a sixth career tour title and a seventh consecutive top 10 since supersizing himself. With his newfound length, the 26-year-old is just taunting golf course architects. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ross,” DeChambeau said referring to Donald Ross. “I didn’t mean to hit it over those bunkers all the time, but it just happened.” Hey, at least the young gun showed some respect by calling him Mr. Ross.

No, DeChambeau is not the first golfer to overpower golf courses (Jack, Tiger, Daly, Gilmore, among others), but no one has taken that focus quite to this extreme. Bryson making the 350-yard drive routine—he averaged 350.6(!) for the week—is like Stephen Curry making the 30-foot shot standard practice in the NBA. You now have to defend against it. And since golfers can’t play defence, their only way to keep up might be to eat up.

Shit just got real @b_dechambeau you better watch out cause this little whippersnapper will be within 75 of you in no time. ??‍ pic.twitter.com/jysRuzSLeD

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) July 6, 2020

And if I ever redo my PGA Tour Content Kings ranking, this guy is going straight to the top. There is always something to talk/write about with him, whether it’s what he’s eating or wearing or saying. DeChambeau may not always endear himself to golf fans, but they are clearly fascinated by him.

Will Zalatoris: Introducing the latest in a long line of Wake Forest golf greats (Go Deacs). Like Bryson on the big boy tour, this young man had strung together an impressive run of high finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour before finally winning at the TPC Colorado Championship. Such an important victory would normally mean we’d see him on the PGA Tour next season, but well, this is not your typical season. With the way he’s rolling, though, the three-win battlefield promotion isn’t out of the question.

.@WillZalatoris' #KornFerryTour results this season …

T4
T23
T34
T9
T26
T6
T3
4th
?

First professional victory @TPC_ColoradoHL.

Earned. pic.twitter.com/REe1gpEbK4

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 5, 2020

Tom Brady’s golf swing: It looks like Tom got a swing tip from Phil Mickelson at The Match, because, well, wow:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCV3LhwlgIR/?utm_source=ig_embed

If there’s ever a rematch, Tiger and Peyton might be in trouble.

The Golf Ball Fairy: There’s a small town in Pennsylvania where a mystery person has been leaving golf balls in bulk all over the place. For two years.

Would picking up golf balls on a daily basis be annoying to some? Sure. But think of all the money avid golfers living there have saved!

WE’RE SELLING

Bryson’s detractors: The haterz keep shifting the goal posts as DeChambeau keeps producing strong performances. After he ripped off six consecutive top 10s it was, “Yeah, but he isn’t winning!” After his seventh consecutive top 10 was that precision win, it was, “Yeah, but it was against a weak field and not a major!” I can’t wait until he wins the Masters and people point out August National doesn’t have real rough. It’s almost enough to make me feel bad for the guy. Almost …

Bryson’s cameraman comments: And then DeChambeau did something like this. Complaining about a cameraman doing, well, his job. And then not really apologizing about it after. And then doubling down on the flimsy apology following his win. Not great for the brand. Speaking of which …

Bryson’s Saturday shirt: Bryson wore a shirt with math equations on it. Because he’s THE SCIENTIST. Get it?!

wait wait wait wait wait pic.twitter.com/P7hi6NjitV

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) July 4, 2020

I actually kinda dig how the shirt looks from far away, but this is a bit much. Perhaps, because I never want to think about calculus again.

Matthew Wolff’s Sunday: I also never want to think again about how much money I missed out on because of Wolff’s disappointing final round. But while it’s still fresh, my $10 on Wolff at 125-to-1 odds would have practically covered this summer’s golf trip. However, it wasn’t meant to be as Wolff blew his three-shot lead through 54 holes in about the time it takes Bryson to do a set on the bench press. I’m still a big Wolff fan, but that hurt. Of course, it hurts a bit less when you’ve successfully bet on Webb Simpson and Dustin Johnson the previous two weeks. So don’t feel too sorry for me.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Dublin, Ohio, for the next two weeks, first for the Workday Charity Open and then for the Memorial. If you’re going to play back-to-back tournaments at the same course, you could do a lot worse than Muirfield Village. And while players are in town, they should go check out the original Wendy’s. On second thought, maybe they should just eat in. As we’ve been reminded many times, Muirfield Village makes a mean milkshake.

Random tournament fact: Bryson DeChambeau won the 2018 Memorial, but he’s not in the field at Muirfield Village this week. That’s good news for his fellow tour pros. And for whoever is making those milkshakes.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Bryson DeChambeau is taking this week off: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Bryson will win the PGA Championship/U.S. Open/Masters: 10-to-1 odds
—Bryson’s fellow tour pros will still be asked about him this week: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Stacy Revere

This drop may have cost me $1,250 as DeChambeau was able to two-putt from the fringe on No. 16 instead of having to hack out of thick rough for his second. Because of a stupid sprinkler head that happened to be near his ball. I’m not bitter about it, though. Not bitter about it at all …

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Well, it finally happened. Ho-sung Choi took one of his crazy swings and … completely whiffed. With a driver. Yikes.

Ho Sung Choi in the final group on the Korean PGA Tour today ? @GolfingWorld @ESPNCaddie @JasonSobelTAN @henrikstenson @EddiePepperell @BeefGolf @golfjuice @GOLFTV @Fehertwit @ESPNGolf @SkySportsGolf @iaincartergolf @brianwacker1 @chambleebrandel @AlanShipnuck @golfjuice pic.twitter.com/t0ZnybH98Y

— Korean Golf News (@KoreanGolfNews) July 4, 2020

Making this clip even more incredible is the fact he was 12 under at the time and playing in the final group. So he’s still a legend in my book.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

After Francesco Molinari announced he’s moving from the U.K. to California, his golfer half, Tommy Fleetwood, was understandably upset:

?????but you said you’d never leave me!!!!

— Tommy Fleetwood (@TommyFleetwood1) July 2, 2020

And Frankie fired off the perfect response:

There’s always going to be a bed for you! pic.twitter.com/QR9VTA9UnR

— Francesco Molinari (@F_Molinari) July 2, 2020

MOLIWOOD forever. Well, unless you’re a U.S. Ryder Cup captain. Then you definitely don’t want to see this team forever.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Golf’s ultimate showman—and pitchman—was back at it, this time pushing private jets:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCT8OycDtuW/?utm_source=ig_embed

Maybe if Matt Wolff had won I would have treated myself. Sigh …

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It shows how much time he has on his hands. He needs some kids or something.” —Kevin Kisner on Bryson’s GAINZ. Hey, he’s got a point.

THIS AND THAT

After initially allowing fans for next week’s Memorial, the tournament changed its mind. With everything going on right now, another no-fan event is what they call a no-brainer, folks. … I’m happy to announce the launch of Golf Digest’s new podcast, Local Knowledge, and particularly proud of the work by Daniel Rapaport, Joel Beall, Sam Weinman and Greg Gottfried put into this first episode. Please give it a listen and subscribe:

Yours truly will host the next episode and let’s just say the topic will be juuuuust a tad lighter. … Congrats to Tyler Strafaci on his North & South Amateur win at Pinehurst, which came 81 years after his grandpa, Frank, went back-to-back in the prestigious amateur event. The Strafaci family is better at golf than my family. … And finally, my wife made this fantastic patriotic-themed chocolate pie for July 4:

So at least my family is really good at dessert.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What does a Bryson DeChambeau “cheat day” look like?
Doesn’t Phil Mickelson have his own private jet?
Would Phil Mickelson mind taking a look at my swing?

The post Bryson DeChambeau destroys another golf course, Tom Brady’s improved golf swing and Brooks/Jena celebrate an important anniversary appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Choi won the Japan Golf Tour’s HEIWA PGM Championship on Sunday, but it was the way in which he won that had Golf Twitter buzzing. Faced with a 20-footer breaking putt to break the tie on the tournament’s 71st hole, the 46-year-old Japanese golfer delivered in a way only he can. And one that makes Kevin Na’s walk-ins tame by comparison. Check it out:

The most clutch putt of 2019. @GolfBetter2son @EPatGolf pic.twitter.com/vkS5IQeDHq

— Hosung Tracker (@HosungHighlight) November 10, 2019

The body language. The gyrations. The fist pumps. The leg pumps. Absolutely electric. We’re not sure what to call this. The Choi Charge? The Ho-sung Shuffle?

Regardless, Choi’s dramatic theatrical make wound up being the difference in the tournament. Here is his slightly-less-electric winning tap-in minutes later, which was also captured by Ho-sung Tracker (LOL):

HE DID IT!

HOSUNG CHOI IS A WINNER AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/ENTi85TJOy

— Hosung Tracker (@HosungHighlight) November 10, 2019

It’s Choi’s third career Japan Golf Tour win of the year and he moved up nearly 100 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking to No. 162. In the unofficial entertainment ranking, however, he remained No. 1. Let’s hope the Ho-sung Show gets to air a few more times in the U.S. next year.

The post Ho-sung Choi, still doing Ho-sung Choi things, provides the most electric winning putt of 2019 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
It appears the most electrifying man in golf is returning to the states.

Ho-sung Choi, whose eccentric swing and demonstrative demeanour turned the Korean golfer into a viral sensation, has accepted a sponsor exemption to play in this year’s John Deere Classic.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwXEn7slPgw/?utm_source=ig_embed

This will mark Choi’s second appearance on the PGA Tour this season, making his U.S. debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The 45-year-old turned in rounds of 72, 75 and 77 to miss the cut by 11 shots. Despite this performance, Choi’s gyrations and rapport with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers made him a tournament hit.

“We had him over to the house, him and his family. We had a blast,” Rodgers told reporters. “There’s obviously some loss in translation with the language barrier, but we had his translator there, and we just had a blast. He’s a great guy. I think it’s great for the tournament and for golf. Obviously, his swing gets a lot of attention, but he’s a good player. It was a lot of fun to play with him.”

The post Viral sensation Ho-sung Choi receives second PGA Tour sponsor exemption appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Choi Ho-sung of South Korea pictured during the third round of the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club on June 23, 2018 in Cheonan.

By Alex Myers
One of golf’s (suddenly) iconic swings will grace one of the game’s most iconic venues in February. Ho-sung Choi is coming to Pebble Beach to make his PGA Tour debut. Try to stay calm, people.

The 45-year-old viral sensation told Korean media on Monday he has accepted a sponsor exemption into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Feb. 7-10.

RELATED: Read the petition to get Ho-sung Choi into a PGA Tour event

“I never imagined this day would come,” Choi said, according to multiple reports. “I took up golf at the age of 25, after a hard life. I’m fully aware that none of this would be possible without the love and support of my fans. I will, of course, do my best, wherever I go.”

Choi’s unorthodox “fisherman swing” and his over-the-top on-course antics have captivated golf fans across the world in the past year. Here’s a sampling:

No one’s laughing at his score right now. #hosungchoi #choihosung #fishermanswing #golf pic.twitter.com/A4D19GXqQM

— Yong Lee (@bwv878) November 25, 2018

Hosung doing Hosung things ? Love it! pic.twitter.com/rhT0ZZTv9p

— Travis Fulton (@travisfulton) December 22, 2018

But to be clear, Choi is the real deal with two Japan Golf Tour titles. And the journeyman Korean is playing the best golf of his life, including a win at the Casio World Open in November that propelled him into the top 200 of the Official World Golf Ranking (he’s currently No. 200) for the first time.

There is also a petition to get Choi into the Waste Management Phoenix Open in a couple weeks. Although, it’s gotten more than 5,000 online signatures, the tournament has yet to offer Choi a spot in the field. Man, it would be a real shame if the guy came all the way to the U.S. and only got to play in one event. Just saying. . .

The post Viral sensation Ho-sung Choi to make his PGA Tour debut at Pebble Beach appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Ho-sung Choi is not so much a man as he is a human highlight reel. The 45-year-old became a social media sensation last summer during the Korean Open, displaying a swagger and saunter usually seen in the wrestling ring. His unusual action, which has been dubbed “The Fisherman’s Swing,” is certainly a sight…

Hosung Choi is my new favorite golfer pic.twitter.com/nHuFQUTjt4

— Tee-k Kelly (@teekkelly) June 23, 2018

And he is a living embodiment of “body English.” Forget willing his ball to its intended destination; Choi’s frequent pirouettes border on religious ceremonies:

Hosung doing Hosung things ? Love it! pic.twitter.com/rhT0ZZTv9p

— Travis Fulton (@travisfulton) December 22, 2018

Better yet, Choi is not some circus act. Thanks to a win at the Casio World Open, Choi is on the cusp of breaking into the top 200 world rankings. A standing that he led a teacher in Arizona to start a petition to bring Choi to the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Dear PGA Tour/Phoenix Thunderbirds/Whom it may concern,

Once in a generation golfer, Hosung Choi, has BURST out onto the scene and into our hearts this past 2018. Being arguably the most entertaining golfer to watch, I and many others strongly feel he deserves a sponsors exemption into the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. The “greatest show on grass” NEEDS to have the greatest showman in the game. We are politely asking that you would extend one of your sponsors exemptions to Hosung Choi, so that we can see his greatness up close.

We have PGA instructor Derek Deminsky to thank for doing the Lord’s work. And, frankly, it’s not that big of a reach. Tom Lovelady, who received a sponsor exemption in Phoenix last winter, was No. 351 in the world at the time of his pass. Hunter Mahan, another recipient, was No. 615. The WMPO markets itself as the “People’s Open.” If that motto rings true, tournament organisers should give the people what they want.

The post There’s a petition to get Ho-sung Choi, the most exciting man in golf, a sponsor exemption into the Waste Management Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.