Bryson DeChambeau took the lead in the FedEx Cup Playoffs by winning The Northern Trust, and he did so using a complete game over four days at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey.
DeChambeau ranked 10th in strokes gained/off the tee, fifth in strokes gained/tee to green and fifth in strokes gained putting. Add up all those numbers and it equates to a four-shot win over Tony Finau.
Interestingly, DeChambeau had a new driver in the bag since his win in June at the Memorial Tournament: Cobra’s F8+ model with a TPT Model 14 MKP LT shaft. According to Cobra tour rep Ben Schomin, DeChambeau’s previous driver, the company’s LTD Pro model, had a flatter lie angle at 56 degrees. The F8+ has a 58-degree lie angle, and DeChambeau felt more comfortable with that, which makes sense given that his typical miss is to the right and a more upright lie angle can help mitigate that.
Of course, no DeChambeau equipment-related post would be complete without mentioning his single-length irons. Viewed by some as a better, simpler way to play and by others as a gimmick, DeChambeau’s Cobra King One Utility irons and King Forged One Length irons all are 37.5 inches long, about that of a 7-iron. The main benefit being that one length promotes one swing, one swing plane, one posture for what could amount to more consistent contact. DeChambeau’s clubs also boast 123-gram JumboMax XL grips to help make the weights work with the one-length clubs. For the week DeChambeau was tied for first in greens in regulation at 81.94 percent.
On the greens DeChambeau used a Sik Tour prototype 39-inch putter. “My golf swing was feeling great and my putting, that’s been the key this week for me,” DeChambeau said after the third round. “I’ve been rolling my rock really, really well.”
And now DeChambeau isn’t only leading the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but also might be the leading man on Jim Furyk’s radar for a US Ryder Cup captain’s pick. DeChambeau went to the 2016 matches as a spectator to “get my feet in the water.” Looking ahead to the final round of The Northern Trust, DeChambeau remarked, “I’ll hopefully show captain that I’m worthy. … But as of right now, I’m a man on a mission.”
Whether that mission has been accomplished or not is a little bit away, but he’s off to an awfully good start.
What Bryson Dechambeau had in the bag at The Northern Trust
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X
Driver: KING F8+ Nardo (TPT Model 14 MKP LT), 8 degrees|
3-wood: Cobra King LTD, 14.5 degrees
5-wood: Cobra F8+ Baffler, 17.5 degrees
Irons (4-5): Cobra King One Utility; (6-PW): Cobra Forged One Length
Wedges: Cobra King (50, 55, 60 degrees)
Putter: SIK Midsize