Bryson DeChambeau: how his 'Strokes-Gained' stats have evolved since 2017

Bryson DeChambeau is on a mission, and that is to become a dominant World No.1 in the game of golf. Will it happen? Quite possibly. GolfMagic certainly thinks he will get there at some point in 2021. 

Having piled on the pounds during the lockdown and sending missiles off the tee for fun in 2020, the newly-crowned US Open champion has worked tirelessly on his own unique golf swing to improve his level of consistency, especially over the past four years on the PGA Tour. 

That has been reflected none better in recent times with seven career PGA Tour titles since 2017, two of which have come in 2020 in a year which he has seen him notch 10 top-10 finishes on the circuit. 

Now we all know DeChambeau hits bombs with his popular Cobra KING Speedzone driver - some of which even surpass the 400-yard mark - but he has also improved in just about every other area of the game too, testament to the hard work he has been doing in his golf lab alongside his coach Chris Como. 

Let's take a closer look at how DeChambeau's game has evolved in six key 'Strokes-Gained' stats since 2017 on the PGA Tour...

2017

Strokes-Gained Off The Tee: .420 (35th)

Strokes-Gained Approach The Green: -0.20 (114th)

Strokes-Gained Around The Green: -0.16 (109th)

Strokes-Gained Putting: -.193 (145th)

Strokes-Gained Tee To Green: .383 (65th)

Strokes-Gained Total: .190 (78th)

2018

Strokes-Gained Off The Tee: .586 (12th)

Strokes-Gained Approach The Green: .556 (12th)

Strokes-Gained Around The Green: .070 (78th)

Strokes-Gained Putting: .346 (32nd)

Strokes-Gained Tee To Green: 1.212 (11th)

Strokes-Gained Total: 1.558 (6th)

As you can see in 2018, DeChambeau improved in all six of these strokes-gained stats against his peers on the PGA Tour, most notably on his approach shots to the green by progressing from 114th to 12th, and 145th in putting down to 32nd. As a result of these improvements, he won four times in 2018 and finished 6th in strokes-gained total for the year. 

2019

Strokes-Gained Off The Tee: .421 (24th)

Strokes-Gained Approach The Green: .236 (54th)

Strokes-Gained Around The Green: -0.16 (115th)

Strokes-Gained Putting: .372 (28th)

Strokes-Gained Tee To Green: .641 (37th)

Strokes-Gained Total: 1.013 (18th)

DeChambeau then slipped back in all but one of these stats in 2019 with the only improvement being a minor progression from 32nd to 28th in putting. The rest of it made for fairly bleak reading for the American, who ended up without a single victory in 2019, albeit his Shriners win coming in the fall season of 2018/19. It left food for thought for DeChambeau has he entered 2020. 

2020

Strokes-Gained Off The Tee: 1.039 (1st)

Strokes-Gained Approach The Green: -0.90 (119th)

Strokes-Gained Around The Green: -0.41 (111th)

Strokes-Gained Putting: .658 (10th)

Strokes-Gained Tee To Green: .908 (19th)

Strokes-Gained Total: 1.566 (5th)

DeChambeau was back to the form he showed in 2018, but even more so from the tee after building some serious muscle during the coronavirus lockdown. He led the driving distance stats with an average of 322 yards and it resulted in him topping the strokes-gained off the tee charts too, having been 24th the year before. DeChambeau also improved dramatically on the greens, vaulting from 28th to 10th in putting, as well as 37th to 19th in strokes-gained tee to green.

The biggest weakness for the American remains in his approach shots to the green, as he slumped from 54th to 119th in 2020. When you consider the amount of short irons and wedges he now has in his hand, it becomes an even poorer statistic when you consider things that way.

In 2018, he ranked 12th in this area of the game, and back then he was around 30 yards shorter off the tee. If Bryson can get back to that level with his irons and wedges fairly soon, then you have to feel that we could be looking at our next Masters champion come this November, or at least when he gets another crack at Augusta National in April 2021. 

What do you make of DeChambeau's game right now? Does he need to work harder on his short game or should he just keep working hard on pounding that driver off the tee? Share your thoughts and comments on our social media channels, or visit our YouTube channel.