In an exclusive revelation, veteran golfer Lee Westwood has expressed genuine surprise at Bryson DeChambeau's putting performance this season, just as the American star prepares for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National. Westwood, who has competed alongside DeChambeau on the LIV Golf circuit, provided detailed observations from their recent encounters, highlighting aspects that could influence the upcoming major championship.
Front-Row View of DeChambeau's Dominant Form
Bryson DeChambeau has been enjoying a spectacular run on the LIV Golf tour this year, capturing attention with back-to-back playoff victories in Singapore and South Africa, complemented by a strong T3 finish in Adelaide earlier in the season. At 32 years old, the powerful hitter arrives at Augusta riding a wave of momentum, having secured consecutive top-10 finishes in Georgia and contending seriously for the title last year before Rory McIlroy ultimately claimed the Green Jacket.
Westwood's Unexpected Putting Discovery
Lee Westwood, a former world number one and current member of Majesticks GC on LIV Golf, played alongside DeChambeau during the final round in Singapore. He confessed that the American's putting ability caught him off guard. "I mean he is hitting it really well," Westwood exclusively told Mirror Sport. "He's got good control of his ball flight and his distance control is good. He's driving it really well. I played with him around Sentosa, which is quite a tight golf course. He didn't really miss too many fairways and he'd certainly have more room at Augusta anyway."
"But what surprised me was how good his putting was," Westwood emphasized. "He's rolling the ball really well. So yeah, I could definitely see him being up there." This revelation adds a new dimension to DeChambeau's game, traditionally known for his driving distance, as he heads into the Masters with enhanced confidence on the greens.
LIV Golf's Strategic Advantage for Major Preparation
Westwood further elaborated on the potential benefits that LIV Golf's schedule offers to players like DeChambeau and Jon Rahm as they gear up for major championships. "We're playing 72 holes now on LIV so I think it'll be an advantage to certain guys," he explained. "Because really, the LIV schedule is set up for the likes of Bryson and Jon Rahm, people like that. It's really set up for them to help with their major championship preparation."
He contrasted this with the PGA Tour's demands, noting that LIV players avoid mandatory signature events that might disrupt their focus before majors. "They won't have had to play events, say signature events, like the guys on the PGA Tour will, which maybe they didn't want to play in the lead-up to the major championships this year. So I can see that the guys from LIV have quite a significant advantage."
Augusta's Formidable Challenges Remain
Despite DeChambeau's strong form, Westwood cautioned that Augusta National presents unique obstacles, drawing from his own experience as a two-time runner-up at the Masters. "Its main defence is the greens," he stated. "That's especially for guys like Rory McIlroy, Bryson, Scottie Scheffler. The length of the golf course isn't going to worry them too much. It is a golf course where you're flat out, you know. You're hitting it a hundred per cent pretty much all of the week because of the length of it. But obviously the greens and the swirling winds are a challenge. You've got to be able to adapt well, I think, to Augusta."
This insight underscores the delicate balance between power and precision required to conquer Augusta, where DeChambeau's improved putting could prove crucial against the course's notoriously tricky greens and unpredictable conditions.
