Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau during the 2021 PGA Championship. | Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
In his most recent ‘Breaking 50’ episode on YouTube, Bryson DeChambeau talked about how his channel came to be.
Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube channel continues to explode in popularity. The reigning U.S. Open champion now has over 1.5 million subscribers, and his videos routinely eclipse the seven-figure mark.
In his latest endeavor, DeChambeau teamed up with fellow LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson as part of his ‘Breaking 50’ series. In these episodes, DeChambeau invites a guest to join him for a two-man scramble from the red tees to try and break 50—a ridiculously low score, which is very challenging to achieve, even from the most forward teeing grounds.
Along with Mickelson, other ‘Breaking 50’ guests include former U.S. President Donald Trump, 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, social media icon Paige Spiranac, and former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo. DeChambeau now has 14 episodes of ‘Breaking 50’ in his YouTube repertoire and 138 videos on his channel overall. DeChambeau’s video with Trump is by far his most popular, as it has over 12 million views since its premiere in late July.
Nevertheless, while driving up the 17th hole at Greenbrier, where Mickelson and DeChambeau filmed their ‘Breaking 50’ episode, the greatest left-handed player asked a simple question:
“Tell me about why or how you got involved in YouTube Golf?” Mickelson mulled.
“What really motivated you to start doing what you are doing?”
DeChambeau then delivered a long-winded answer, explaining how his first YouTube video came in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. He wanted to give fans a glimpse into his life and what life on the PGA Tour looked like behind the scenes. More importantly, he felt obligated to show his true personality to golf fans worldwide.
“People had a thought process of who I was. I didn’t like how that was going, so I decided to take it upon myself to show people more of who I am,” DeChambeau said.
“Quite honestly, it was an eye-opening experience the first time I ever did a YouTube video… it got a million views. It just opened my eyes to how people could perceive who you truly are when you present them with what you are actually doing—not just small snippets of any interaction or a poor interaction that I had or a mess-up that I had or whatever.”
DeChambeau’s popularity has since skyrocketed, with his YouTube presence being a significant reason why. Look no further than what transpired at Pinehurst No. 2 in June, when DeChambeau—not Rory McIlroy—received the loudest ovations as the two superstars made their way down the stretch on Sunday. He then won in dramatic fashion, sending the North Carolina crowd into delirium. DeChambeau proceeded to parade the trophy around the grandstands along the 18th fairway as he wanted everyone on the property to celebrate his win with him. That gesture revealed the strong relationship he had created between himself and golf fans.
But the golfing world has long viewed DeChambeau as a polarizing figure. He arrived on the PGA Tour in 2016, and saw early success. He won for the first time at the 2017 John Deere Classic, but you either loved or loathed him, with no in-between. You admired his unique approach to the game, relying on science, speed, and high-level mathematics, or you thought he came off as highly condescending—a threat to how golfers have played the game for over a century.
He then decided to put on weight at the onset of the pandemic, beefing up his stature to obtain more speed, power, and distance off the tee. Some viewed this as inspiring, while others questioned this approach. It ultimately paid off, as he won the U.S. Open that September at Winged Foot. He bombed and gauged his way around the brutal West Course, winning by six and finishing as the only player under par.
Yet, before then, in the summer of 2020, DeChambeau had a couple of contentious moments with rules officials, leading Brooks Koepka to make fun of him. The two developed a rivalry in the year or so that followed, dividing many golf fans along those lines. But rivalries are healthy for the sport and even interested non-golf fanatics. It captivated the sporting audience as a whole, leading everyone to ask, “Who’s side are you on, Bryson’s? Or Brooks?” The eye-roll Koepka gave toward DeChambeau during a live interview at Kiawah Island in 2021 served as a perfect metaphor for their feud, which has since dissolved.
DeChambeau sparked further controversy by labeling Augusta National as a “Par 67” in the fall of 2020. Golf purists viewed that comment as disrespectful, as many believed he had degraded golf’s holiest grounds. Others viewed that remark as a display of confidence. But he undoubtedly degraded his Cobra driver the following summer at The Open at Royal St. George’s. DeChambeau said his “driver sucks,” which led a Cobra executive to say, “It’s just really, really painful when he says something that stupid. He’s never really been happy, ever.” DeChambeau then apologized, but the damage was done.
Of course, less than one year later, DeChambeau jettisoned to LIV Golf and joined Mickelson’s lawsuit against the PGA Tour. That sparked plenty of outrage and controversy. So did his comments on Jun. 6, 2023, when DeChambeau appeared on CNN just hours after the tour shockingly announced its framework agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV’s beneficiary. DeChambeau said, “Nobody’s perfect,” when asked about the Saudi Arabian Kingdom’s violent history, which includes direct connections to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Bryson DeChambeau, an early recruit to the Saudi-backed LIV tour, on the PGA merger shocker and criticism from the families of 9/11 victims: pic.twitter.com/i1R6AWjw1Z
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 7, 2023
“As we move forward from that, we’ve got to look towards the pathway to peace, especially in forgiveness, especially if we’re trying to mend the world and make it a better place,” DeChambeau added.
“It’s unfortunate what has happened, and that’s something I cannot necessarily speak on because I’m a golfer.”
And yet, in 2024, DeChambeau may be the most popular golfer on the planet not named Tiger Woods. It’s a remarkable turnaround. He has gone from being one of the most polarizing figures in all of sports to one of the most beloved individuals in golf. Maybe it’s because most of the golfing world does not see him play as often as he did on the PGA Tour. Or, possibly, he has matured from his younger self. Regardless, his YouTube presence has undoubtedly changed how people view him, which was one of his goals when he began filming. On top of that, DeChambeau has greater ambitions about why he continues to post content with golfers, celebrities, and even former presidents.
“[YouTube] just really opened my eyes to what it could do for the public. I said, ‘Wow, this could really affect juniors in an amazing way, especially after seeing what other content creators have done,’” DeChambeau added in his discussion with Mickelson.
“It’s an amazing way to grow the game. That’s what I want for the game. I want the game to be healthy and grow forever because it creates amazing relationships.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
