Bryson DeChambeau is relishing defending his U.S. Open title at Torrey Pines this week as he prepares for a golf course which poses a ‘similar’ test to Winged Foot last year.
The 27-year-old, who won his first Major Championship at the rescheduled 2020 U.S. Open, was the only player to finish under par at Winged Foot as he stormed to a six stroke victory ahead of compatriot Matthew Wolff.
Renowned as one of the world’s longest hitters, DeChambeau says he has a clear gameplan ahead of the third Major Championship of the year.
“I try to be as aggressive as possible,” he said. “I feel like it’s a little bit similar to Winged Foot, albeit the grass and the rough is a little thicker. For the most part, I’m going to be trying to bomb it as much as possible and try to gouge it out when I don’t hit it in the fairway.
“If I have over 190mph ball speed, it’s going to be tremendous out here covering bunkers and whatnot. But again, sometimes the bunkers are good to be in out here. They’re in really great condition, and the rough lies can be treacherous sometimes. It really depends what type of lie you get.
“I really don’t know if bunkers or rough is better, but for sure just getting it as close as I can to the green is going to be a strategy of mine.
"I'm blessed to have won this championship, and I think that from my perspective, touring it around a little bit, taking it to fun places and having some fun with it was great. I was nice enough to bring it back in good shape, no dinks, no dents, so that's what I was proud about. Hopefully, I can take it back again this week.”
After missing last year’s U.S. Open due to injury, the 2017 and 2018 champion Brooks Koepka will look to continue his phenomenal Major Championship form.
Koepka’s last 14 Major Championship appearances have yielded four victories, three runner-up finishes, including last month’s US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, and three further top-seven results.
“(I) just (have) more focus (at Major Championships), that’s all it is,” said Koepka. “Sometimes I just get lackadaisical out there. It’s something I’ve got to work on in regular events, being a little more in tune and not just always looking at the Majors and being on mentally for five, six, seven hours out here. It’s definitely different.
“I enjoy it. I enjoy when it’s hard and when it matters the most. That’s something I thrive off of, and that’s what I do so well.”
