Older, wiser DeChambeau proud of his Open turnaround
The flamboyant 31-year-old American carded a wild 78 at Royal Portrush on Thursday, hacking his way round the course in wet and windy conditions.
DeChambeau even considered flying straight home before deciding to battle on, and he followed up with rounds of 65, 68 and 64 to give himself a good chance of improving on his best Open finish of tied eighth in 2022.
"Normally, I'd be super pissed and frustrated, which I was rightfully so, because I thought I played pretty well and shot seven over," DeChambeau said.
"I said to myself, I'm going to do something different this time. I'm going to transition my brain to say, look, I'm going to give it everything I have tomorrow, no matter what happens."
DeChambeau, twice U.S. Open champion, admitted he still has not worked out how to play links golf in adverse weather.
"It was fair conditions the past few days," he said. "I always told you guys I like it when it's fair conditions. I can play well. I still have to crack the code when it's raining and windy."
Nicknamed "the scientist" due to his analytical and statistical approach to mastering the game of golf, DeChambeau became the longest driver on the PGA Tour in 2020.
"I think I look at the game a little bit different than others. I want to win. I think we all know that. But there's more than winning," he said.
"There's how you influence a younger population, how you showcase yourself. The only reason we're getting paid the numbers we're getting paid is because of those individuals out there in the stands."
And he is not going to change his style any time soon.
"I like showcasing myself to others and doing fun challenges because that's just who I am, has shown people the true side of myself," he said.
"I'm not just a professional, but I'm an entertainer as well."
DeChambeau has thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Portrush.
"It was a fun three days," he said. "It's a great Open venue. There's a lot of tricky hole locations. It would be a lot of fun to come back. It's a great town."
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