Tour Sources Begin Spilling On Defectors Bryson DeChambeau And Patrick Reed
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While they sound happy to see both go, the amount of First World dirt spilled on Bryson DeChambeau to Golf Digest’s Dan Rapaport suggests his impending LIV departure for a $100 million advance really stings.
And it should. DeChambeau is a draw. Reed is not and never will be.
DeChambeau’s defiant and often erratic behavior began shortly after he played his way onto the PGA Tour in 2016. At an AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am early in his career, DeChambeau unleashed a profanity-laced tirade on a volunteer who failed to spot his errant ball. The incident was reported up the chain of command and, per sources familiar with the tour’s operations, almost certainly resulted in discipline. The tour didn’t speak to the incident, as is their long-standing policy, but according to one tour player, a similar situation played out years later at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
In the summer of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, tour officials and volunteers were instructed to be particularly conscious of where people could and could not go. After pounding range balls long after sundown, DeChambeau attempted to enter a building without his credential. When he was denied access, he grew agitated. Shortly thereafter, a tour official addressed the incident with an adamant DeChambeau, who was dumbfounded that the volunteer did not recognize him. This was the same week he objected to a cameraman following him for too long, after which he took a thinly veiled shot at the PGA Tour.
The story goes on to detail how Justine Reed had a direct line to a Tour executive who had to play the role of Team Reed concierge. Hope the benefits package for whoever that is included therapy and extra vacation time!
