Nothing about the Bryson DeChambeau experience is easy these days

10:05 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. Bryson DeChambeau was steaming. He had just missed a birdie putt that brought an end to one of the most memorable playoffs the PGA Tour has seen in recent years, and understandably, he wanted to get away. From everyone. The roars for Patrick Cantlay, the winner of the BMW Championship, were still ringing out as DeChambeau ducked into the tunnel that cuts beneath the 18th hole grandstands. DeChambeau handed his hat to a gleeful adolescent fan standing at the rope line, then began a furious but silent walk up the steep hill that winds its way toward the Caves Valley clubhouse. Halfway up the hill, something happened that made me feel like weve arrived at a miserable place in the never-ending circus that is DeChambeau. A patron waited until DeChambeau had walked by, but was not out of earshot, then sneered from over the rope line Great job Brooksie! DeChambeau spun around in a rage and began briefly walking in his direction. You know what? Get the f out! DeChambeau yelled. He had rage in his eyes. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images Im being dead serious when I say it could have gotten ugly really fast. Maybe not Malice At The Palace bad, but in that moment, nothing wouldve surprised me. A rope line is little more than a polite suggestion when it comes to security a golf tournament. DeChambeau had been hearing, and ignoring, that kind of taunt all week. But everyone has their breaking point. Thankfully DeChambeau paused, angrily motioning for a police officer to handle the heckler, then continued his march up the hill. The entire exchange took less than 10 seconds. The PGA Tour declined comment when asked about the incident by ESPN. But weve been building to something like this all summer. And I dont know what the end game is. The feud between DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka felt playful when it started, a harmless distraction in a time when we needed one. Besides, shouldnt golf try to be less stuffy? Athletes in other sports trade barbs all the time. Why should this be different? Thats how I viewed it. If DeChambeau couldnt ignore the fans taking Koepkas side, wasnt that a sign of weakness? Shouldnt he shut them up with his clubs? Its obvious who won, though, even if DeChambeau has won more money and more tournaments than Koepka this season. Koepka no longer even needs to participate to keep the feud going. (Koepka told me he agreed to pause it, at least for now, at the request of Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.) There is still an army of trolls eager to needle DeChambeau, and Koepka probably couldnt call them off, even if he wanted to. It plays out almost like a Twitter harassment campaign with the trolls insisting they arent crossing any line, theyre just shouting Brooksie! because they want to support their favorite player knowing full well it gets under DeChambeaus skin. 1 Related Can you really boot someone from a professional sporting even for shouting a players name at a player who doesnt like it? When does heckling cross a line and morph into bullying? And can you really bully a professional athlete who is built like a bull? Its a surreal ethical dilemma. If youre not a golf fan, I suspect you find all this utterly perplexing, but golf is going to have to come up with an answer at some point because its not going away. The NBC broadcast team repeatedly implied the Brooksie! chants werent much of an issue throughout the weekend, that fans were mostly supportive of DeChambeau. But anyone who walked with DeChambeau at Caves Valley could tell you that was to be generous grossly misleading. I heard it dozens of times while walking with him and Cantlay during the six-hole playoff. DeChambeau had plenty of fans, sure, but he also had plenty of people openly rooting for him to hit the ball in the water. A huge contingent of the crowd was chanting Patty! Pattt! Patty for Cantaly, and roaring with glee when DeChambeaus drive found the creek during the playoff. I wont tell anyone they should root for DeChambeau, or change their mind. Hes earned a lot of the criticism thrown his way. But I do think were losing the plot a bit, overlooking how compelling he is as a golfer, even if he cant seem to resist saying foolish things. He isnt as thoughtful behind the microphone as Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm few athletes are. He just shot the lowest score in PGA Tour history by someone who didnt win a golf tournament, an absolute showcase for a city that hasnt had a PGA Tour event in 60 years. And yet he seems on the verge of a meltdown because he cant tune out the people who delight in mocking him. In an era where we are encouraging athletes to talk about their mental health, is it still OK to openly ridicule DeChambeau simply because he comes across as less likeable? In the season finale of Americas Caddie, Michael Collins gets you set for the last stop of the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Tour Championship. Stream now on ESPN+ If certain aspects of golf have tried to mirror professional wrestling, with the PGA Tour awarding $40 million as part of its Player Impact Program that is based partially on fan engagement, then DeChambeau was never meant to play the heel. Its not in his DNA. People who interact with him regularly have told me that, deep down, what he wants is to be loved. To be embraced. He cant seem to grasp why he often isnt, despite so much success. Five years ago, when DeChambeau was about to turn professional, I sent him an email, inquiring whether he might be willing to sit down for an interview about his desire to be an agent of change in the often-stagnant world of golf. His outspoken aspiration, even as a college student, to evolve the way we view equipment and science and putting seemed like a great story. He wrote back almost right way. His response, as I recall, was both polite and earnest. DeChambeau invited me to come to California and spend time with him and his family. He was an open book, excited to share his theories on where he saw the sport going. We couldnt get our schedules aligned, and sadly never made it happen, but lately Ive been thinking about the kid DeChambeau was back then, still mostly unknown, yet so hungry and eager to share his passion for the game. A lot of that earnestness remains, but some of it has been chipped away, and his resentments have hardened. It would be fun if everyone DeChambeau included could push a reset button, because its fascinating to watch him play golf. Even the athletes who annoy us deserve a little empathy. Whether he deserves it or not, it would be nice to extend him some. The post Nothing about the Bryson DeChambeau experience is easy these days appeared first on Patabook Sports.

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