By Rick Gehman
MESQUITE, Nev. — Bryson DeChambeau’s run in the Professional Long Drivers Association World Championship has come to an end, but not without fireworks. DeChambeau was eliminated in the Round of 8 after battling through the Round of 16.

DeChambeau drew a gauntlet group in his first set of the day, battling Martin Borgmeier, Nick Vorbeck and Kyle Berkshire. DeChambeau rallied the crowd with a long drive of 406 yards, beating Berkshire and finishing second to Borgmeier (416 yards).

Last week: Helps U.S. Team win the Ryder Cup
This week: Top 8 at Long Drive World Championships

An impressive showing from @B_DeChambeau. pic.twitter.com/VuDy9OA3WO

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 2, 2021

He would go on to post long drives of 406, 386, 403, 396 and 394 in his five sets. That final shot was worth a victory in set five, propelling him into the next round.

After re-seeding, DeChambeau faced off against Borgmeier, Justin James and Colton Casto — some of the game’s best and biggest hitters. He put forth a valiant effort but posting a long drive of 391 wasn’t enough.

The result certainly surpassed DeChambeau’s expectations before the week began.

“Not even final 16, I thought I’d make it to the round of 32, but getting to the top 16 is pretty sweet,” he said about his pre-event expectations and subsequent performance on Thursday. “To say you’re one of the top 16 long drivers in the world and one of the longest drivers in the world is pretty sweet.”

At this stage in the event, DeChambeau ran up against some of the world’s best long drivers with ball speeds that scant few humans can obtain. He was second on the PGA Tour last season in measured ball speed at 190.72 miles per hour, just behind Cameron Champ. At the World Championships this week, his ball speeds had been recorded as high as 219 mph, a personal record thanks to a singular mindset and equipment designed for maximum distance.

Even that outrageous achievement doesn’t measure up to Kyle Berkshire, for example, who reached a top speed of 229 mph this week. There’s a reason that Berkshire is the reigning world champion and that’s the type of athlete that DeChambeau has attempted to shine a light on this week.

“Just be a part of it and encourage them as much as possible,” DeChambeau told Golf Digest on Friday when asked about his continued advocacy of this sport. “Tell them that if they work on their wedge games, they can be on the Korn Ferry Tour and be on the PGA TOUR … they are good enough.”

Berkshire would go on to defeat Justin James in the finals, winning the World Championships and defending his own title.

After a two-week stretch of golf that spanned both a Ryder Cup and a Long Drive World Championship, DeChambeau indicated that a break will now be coming, offering up the Hero World Challenge as his next likely PGA Tour start.

But this week and on this night, he is not only the seventh-ranked golfer on the planet but also the 6th longest hitter on the planet.

The post Bryson DeChambeau surpasses Pro Long Drive expectations with exhilarating show appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Bryson DeChambeau’s transformation from man into mountain has been one of the chief storylines in the sport. While his newfound strength has led to success against the game’s best, he’ll now get to put that power against the game’s longest.

DeChambeau announced on his Instagram account that he will participate in the Professional Long Driver’s Association World Championship in Mesquite, Nev. starting Sept. 27.

“This is an amazing opportunity to grow the game and the sport in general!” DeChambeau wrote. “I want to show the world how incredibly talented and hard working these athletes are.”

DeChambeau is now two years into his physical overhaul that has beget “Did you see that?!?” drives, and while some fans and pundits can say they are bored with bomb after bomb after bomb, it has been the No. 1 marvel on-site since fans have returned to tournament venues. Part of Bryson’s process has included work with 2019 World Long Drive champ Kyle Berkshire.

DeChambeau ranks first on the PGA Tour in driving distance at 321 yards and is first in strokes gained/off-the-tee. However, long-drive contests are a different animal, with competitors often needing something past the 400-yard barrier to capture the event. A notion Bryson seems well aware of.

“I’ve been working hard to get my game up to their speeds so I have a chance,” DeChambeau said “but will still continue to play my best golf with my regular day job.”

Also noteworthy is the timing of the long drive event, as it begins Sept. 27 … a day after the Ryder Cup, which runs from Sept. 24 to Sept. 26 at Whistling Straits. DeChambeau is expected to compete for the American contingent against Team Europe at the biennial event.

The post Bryson DeChambeau to compete in Long Drive World Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.