Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
DeChambeau’s U.S. Open win was monumental for the LIV Golf captain as his following grew massively overnight.
Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open win is still the most talked-about golf news story despite LIV Golf Nashville and the PGA Tour’s final Signature Event this week.
In the 24 hours after DeChambeau’s win, Google searches about him went up by 250 percent, and he gained over 150,000 new followers across all his social media platforms.
The Bryson DeChambeau effect is in full force, but the professional golfer is taking it in stride.
“I’ve got to say I’m humbled by all of it,” DeChambeau said ahead of the LIV Nashville event. “I never would have thought that from a year and a half ago, things would be where they’re at right now. Gosh, I’m trying to hold it in right now. The support has been overwhelming. It’s with complete thanks and gratitude.”
His YouTube channel now has 750k subscribers. Two days ago, DeChambeau posted highlights from his historic win, which have already amassed 614,000 views, 26,000 likes, and 3,515 comments.
On Twitter, he has 410,240 followers. In the last few days, he posted photos with Grant Horvat and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle with the trophy. Kittle even got to drink out of the trophy with DeChambeau.
His Instagram has also grown since his victory. It is the social channel that has the most followers at 1.4 million.
He also posted a reel of his favorite shots on there less than 24 hours after it went live, and it already has 1.5 million views, 117,434 likes, and 1,100 comments.
The video of him hitting that incredible bunker shot to three feet, which he dubbed “the best moment of my life,” has four million views, 285,330 likes, and almost 3,000 comments.
He is taking over golf through a different lens, and the fans appear to like it.
“It was a risk a year and a half ago, but I knew it was a way for me to get my voice out there and inspire a younger generation,” he said.
DeChambeau saw what enormous YouTube star Mr. Beast did with his channel and added his own spin. Mr. Beast now has over 200 million followers as an entertainer who does all kinds of things on YouTube.
“I said, why can’t an athlete do something like that? Why is that not possible? He’s inspiring millions of people,” DeChambeau said.
“It was in 2021 that we produced our first video. It was a week-on-tour video, and it got a million views. We went out there filming and then pumping it on YouTube. No paid ads, no media spins or anything like that. It just happened. Everybody loved it.”
After that first video, DeChambeau saw the potential and how much it could change golf. His goal is to grow the game, and he found his way.
“How do I do it all the time and create great content that people want to see so people can not only be entertained but see who I truly am,” DeChambeau said.
“What’s nice is when I’m playing these challenges, it keeps me in that creative mindset. It keeps me focused on playing golf. Even though I’m filming, I’m still practicing and working. It’s a symbiotic relationship I have with YouTube that allows me to be the best and give my best to the fans.”
Growth like that on social media is not unheard of, but what DeChambeau has accomplished is huge for golf content creators. They see what he does, and it shows them how possible it is.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
