AUGâąUSTA, Ga. â Bryson DeChambeau versus Augusta National.
Itâs a heđavđ˛yweight bout worthy of being proclaimed in bright lights on a big-city marquee and of having a proper fight poster designed to announce it.
DeChambeau wants to dismantleđ Augusta National with his brawn and his brain en route to having a green jacket slipped over his broad shoulders.
Augusta National wants to đĄmađke DeChambeauâs head explode with its diabolical nuances.
On Thursday, the golf course looked to be was doing just that, as DeChambeau shot a 4-over 76 in the first round and he appeared to be a candidate to ę§be KOed with a missed cut by dayâs end Friđday.
DeChambeau clearly had been staggered.
On Friday, however, DeChambeau counterpunched in the second round, shooting a 5-under 67 to force himself to the cusp of contention for the weekend at 1-under, six shots out of the lead held by Justin Rose.
The back-and-forth between DeChambeau and tę§he course is fascinating and is making for great theater for years to come.
DeChambeau last year probably rattled the ghosts of Bobę§ by Jones and Clifford Roberts when he estimated that, because of his length advantage, par for him around Augusta was 67 instead of the 72 listed on the scorecard for the mere mortals.
Humbled by a rough week that left him in a tie for 34th during the 2020 Masters in November, and frustrated by a lost ball on a tee shot that plugged on the third hole, DeChambeau joked with reporters before this week that par for him last year was âclearly a 74,ââ not the 67 đheâd boldly bragged about.
Thereâs no more analytical player in the game than DeChambeau, a contârol freak who tries to manipulate everything he does in the game by solving equations with âhis brilliant mind.
Augusta National doesnât take kindly to being solved.
âItâs my biggest match for sure,ââ DeChambeau conceded Friday after his second round. âNot having the help that sometimes I have on the golf course at other venues with greens books and not having the calibration tools that I usually uđse [neither of which is permitted at the Masters], itâs definitely a test and something Iâm willing to stand up to and try and face the challenge and try and conquer.
âItâs an interesting challenge for me âĻ and I loę§ve it. Sometimes it baffles me, and thatâs the beauty about this place.â
Without those outside tools at Augusta, DeChambeau has felt like a chef trying to cook an đ¨exqđuisite bouillabaisse without the utensils or ingredients he needs.
DeChambeau has been knocked down by Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 21stāŧ in his first Masters in 2016, then a tie for 38th in 2018, a tie for 29th iđ§n 2019 and the tie for 34th last year.
He has been humbled by Augusta National. But to his āļŖcredit, he keeps getting back up and he keeps swinging. Swinging hard.
âYou have to experience failure in order to understand what success is,ââ he said. âIf you have success all the timđˇe âĻ itâs just not realistic to haveđĒ success all the time. Thatâs whatâs so great about this golf course.
âI donât think you can ever figure this place out,ââ DeChambeau went on. âThereâs so many things going on around here. The wind makes it diabolical. Itâs flying around through these trees and bouncing off the trees and making it feel into the wind when it shoulđđ°d be downwind, and vice versa.
âI donât think youâll ever be able to figure it out, but Iâve just gotâ to be more comfortable.ââ
He looked more comfortable Friday. Finally.
âHonestly, for me it was just execution,ââ he said. âThere were times I didnât execute again. For some reason every yeađŧr I get here, Iâm playing pretty well coming in and I donât execute the way I want to. Today was nice to be able to get it back and shoot 5-under, get myself somewhat in contention.
âThe weekendęŠĩ, anything can happen,ââ DeChambeau went ođ¯n. âIf I go 5-under [Saturday], 5-under [Sunday], maybe even more than that, you never know.ââ
What we do know is this: Round Three is Saturday.
DeChambeau versus Augusta National.
Which force will be strongest?