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ORLANDO, Fla – Bryson DeChambeau took the opportunity to try to drive the green to the Bay Hill Club’s par-5 sixth hole and celebrated as if he had done it Saturday in the Arnold Palmer’s third round Invitational.
DeChambeau’s practice, which crossed a huge lake, ended up 50 yards to the right of the green, but traveled 370 yards and rolled through the fairway and into the rough. The hole is 555 yards, and no player on the field has hit their tee shot so close to the green.
He ended up hitting a rough corner to the front of the green, then two hits for an easy birdie of about 35 feet.
“I felt like a kid again, of course. It was exciting, ”DeChambeau said after a 68 left him with a shot behind 54-hole point guard Lee Westwood. “Especially when you get it right. It was almost like winning a tournament. I had the same chills and feeling when I saw it clearly and there was no splash. I gave to the fans what they wanted. “
DeChambeau, the defending US Open champion whose well-known diet and fitness regime over the past 18 months has seen him gain muscle and over 40 pounds, has become the top driver on the PGA Tour. Last year, he led with an average of over 322 yards per practice.
In order to hit the green from the start on Saturday, DeChambeau said he should have extended his practice to 335 yards, which he did. He avoided going straight to the green because of the wind.
DeChambeau made a few attempts in Wednesday’s pro-am which were unsuccessful due to the wind. This prompted him to take a more conservative path in the first two rounds, prompting playful boos. He birdied the hole in two of the three rounds.
Cheering from spectators behind the tee gave DeChambeau a boost, he said.
“For the most part it’s a move I know I can do and I’ve been able to pull it off, ” he said. I would have done it without the fans, but the fans certainly cheered me on a bit and it was fun giving them what they wanted. ”
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