Bryson DeChambeau earned the nickname “the Scientist” for the meticulous research and experimentation he pours into his game.
But there’s no way even DeChambeau had ever experimented with the route he took on Augusta National’s 13th hole on the way to a birdie.
DeChambeau had just birdied the par-3 12th to regain the Masters lead at seven under par, where he had started the day, when he blocked his tee shot at the iconic par 5 into the trees.
The 2020 U.S. Open winner could easily have decided to play his ball back into the 13th fairway through one of the gaps in the pine trees that line the right side of the landing area.
But Byrson likes to do things Bryson’s way.
Seeking a better angle, DeChambeau eyed a gap in the trees way to the right. His line was so far right he was actually playing into the neighboring 14th fairway. He began moving patrons away so he could play toward the 14th tee.
“He’s parting the Red Sea,” said Mark Immelman on the Amen Corner Masters.com live stream.
Trouble was, one of Augusta’s iconic signs, with arrows pointing to various locations around the course, was blocking his path.
No worry for the 6-foot-1, 240-pound captain of LIV Golf’s Crushers GC! DeChambeau simply ripped the sign out of the ground and carried it away, much to the patrons’ amusement.
“It was probably like 30 pounds, it wasn’t too bad,” DeChambeau said on ESPN after his round. In a press conference Friday evening, he added: “I was looking at an opportunity to hit it back into the 13th fairway, and look, it would have only led me 200 — a hundred yards in probably, something like that, and I knew I could hit one around the corner down 14 fairway and have 140 to 150-yard shot in.”
Broadcasters across multiple Masters streams were stunned.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that,” said Grant Boone on the live stream.
A clip of Bryson carrying the roughly 15-foot tall sign made its way on the ESPN broadcast and quickly went viral.
“Is that a souvenir?” chuckled Trevor Immelman.
