1 week Ago
Augusta: Bryson DeChambeau, who provided Indian golf fans an exciting start to the year with his visit to the country, and Rory McIlroy, who is set to make his first visit there in October, used very different routes to set up an action-packed weekend at the 89th Masters Tournament. DeChambeau shot a four-under-par 68 to get to within one shot of the 36-hole leader Justin Rose (8-under), while McIlroy made up for his heart-breaking finish on Thursday with a bogey-free Friday outing of six-under par 66 to dramatically move to tied third with Canada’s Corey Conners at 6-under. The paths of the two very popular golfers had crossed last year as well when DeChambeau nicked the US Open trophy from under McIlroy’s nose with a stunning bunker shot on the final hole.
Moments earlier, the Northern Irish world No.2 had missed a short putt that would have given him a chance for a playoff with the LIV Golf star. DeChambeau started his 2025 with a trip to Gurugram for the International Series India.
The US player finished second at the DLF Golf & Country Club and added thousands to his ever-growing fan club with his swashbuckling style of golf and a newfound expertise in connecting with people. McIlroy is expected to tee off in a new DP World Tour event to be played on the Delhi Golf Club course in October for a yet-to-be-announced tournament. As both continue their quest to add the Masters Green Jacket to their major wins (McIlroy 4, DeChambeau 2), they could not have had a more different journey to where they reached the leaderboard at the halfway stage.
On Thursday, DeChambeau, 29, wasn’t happy with his iron play despite a 69, after a bogey on the 17th hole. McIlroy, after reaching four-under through 14, made double bogeys on the 15th and 17th to drop to even par. The two players then reacted in diametrically contrasting fashion.
DeChambeau spent more than two hours in the driving range and was the last man to get off it as he bashed ball after ball to get his irons dialled in. “It was just my iron play..
. trying to get my stock draw in there. Felt like I was leaving the face open a little bit.
So worked on some sequencing stuff, some face angle stuff, and actually found the golf swing more on the golf course (during the second round),” said DeChambeau, who, as expected, led the field in driving distance at 331.6 yards (McIlroy was second among those who made the cut, at 317.2 yards).
The double bogey on the 15th was a classic example of what the Alister MacKenzie-designed course can do to even the best names in the sport. When McIlroy made the first chip from over the green into the water, he could have played his fifth shot from the same spot and probably benefited immensely by having the knowledge of his previous shot. Instead, the Northern Irishman admitted to having a brain-fade moment.
He forgot he could have taken a drop at the same spot. He walked to the drop zone instead, from where he had a completely different angle and topography to figure. After his 66, McIlroy said he was determined not to let two bad holes become the story of his week.
Unlike DeChambeau, he left the golf course as soon as he could, seeking the comfort of his family. “Once I left the property last night, I just sort of tried to leave what had happened here,” he said. “I rushed out to get home to see Poppy (his daughter) before she went to bed.
“I guess that’s something that I didn’t have a few years ago...
to be able to get home and take my mind off the golf a little bit. I feel like I just did a good job of resetting.”.
