Hey Bryson, I appreciate what you do online!
That’ll make sense by the end. Technically I saw this footage online. Bryson DeChambeau actually did it in person. In a tournament that matters. At a most prestigious major championship, no less! On the 18th hole of his excellent opening-round 65 at The Masters, Bryson strode up the hill toward the final green. Upon his reintroduction to the patrons at Augusta National, he went for the classic hat tip of acknowledgement.
Only he wasn’t wearing his headgear.
From what I can tell, nobody questioned him about this afterwards, and the fact that it’s only started to make the rounds on social media in the wee hours of Friday morning tells me that it was almost imperceptible when it happened in real time. Would’ve loved to hear Bryson’s answer to this. He could’ve started spouting off something about algebra, how the blustery conditions influenced his psychology and the physics of the act, and would somehow gaslight all of us into thinking, “Wait, did he actually hatless hat tip the crowd?”
Because that’s just how Bryson rolls. Similar to blind-study inferring who’s responsible for Jordan Spieth’s reckless on-course misadventures — what if I told you Jordo made a quadruple bogey early Friday morning? — if I gave the average golf fan 20 guesses with the prompt of, “Who hat tipped the gallery without wearing a hat?” Bryson would be literally everyone’s first or second guess. Is there even another contender who would do something like this? I feel like there isn’t. Maybe Ian Poulter if he was in Ryder Cup hero mode, but his heyday has passed.
Bryson is such a weirdo. Comes across as such a tool. And yet, something about him is undeniably endearing, compelling and watchable. Golf is such a mix of artistry and precision. Just don’t tell that to Bryson, who tries to get it down to as granular of a science as possible. Among the defectors to LIV, Bryson was in the top three I was most disappointed to see go just for his sheer entertainment factor. If he’s the guy who can help hammer out a merger with the PGA Tour, all antics and foolishness toolishness will be forgiven.
OK so the whole me appreciating what Bryson does online. Apparently I’m not the only one. Bryson revealed in his post-round press conference that “people” tell him that on the course all the time. In the alleged exact words of, “Appreciate what you do online.”
The gallery at Augusta National must use this refrain as a rallying cry for Bryson whether he remains in contention for the green jacket or not. If I don’t hear somebody screaming at the top of their lungs, “APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO ONLINE!” after a tee shot this weekend, I’m going to be inconsolable. Devastated. I know better than to ask the golf gods for anything. Please, ye divinities, just let me have this one. It doesn’t have to do with the actual play on the course. What could it hurt?
Anyway, good to see Bryson’s weird self in the mix. Only he could overshadow a sparkling seven-under round at The Masters with physical movements and quotes so strange.
