The beauty of golf, particularly in the four major tournaments, is that it’s full of surprises. Who knew the Masters would complete the Championships calendar this year, with the green jacket being decided in autumn, rather than spring? And who could have predicted that Collin Morikawa would win his maiden major title at the PGA Championship, or that Bryson DeChambeau would be victorious at Winged Foot in the US Open?
When it comes to the latest golf US Masters 2020 odds, the latter is the favourite for success at Augusta National, and DeChambeau will look to replicate the feat managed by Brooks Koepka in 2018 – by winning two successive major titles. The Scientist, as he is known, has sparked controversy amongst his peers for his power-hitting approach to the sport, but it appears that experimenting and tinkering with equipment has been hugely beneficial to his game.
It’s the way that the American has enforced radical changes, challenging the way that the sport has always been played, that could be what rubs others up the wrong way. The PGA may have banned his usage of a compass on his yardage charts, which they deemed was “unusual equipment”, but it’s not just his equipment that DeChambeau has experimented with. He’s also taken up a strict diet and gym regime, which has seen him bulk up and increase his muscle mass by 20lbs – and counting. It’s believed he’s bulked up ahead of the Masters, fuelled by a combination of protein shakes and steak dinners – and DeChambeau will look to power his way through Augusta National, the same way he did at Winged Foot earlier in the year.
Rightly, DeChambeau is the favourite ahead of the Masters. Not only because of his recent major title at the US Open, but because since the sport restarted amidst the coronavirus pandemic, he boasts the most top-10 finishes of anyone on the PGA circuit, as well as the best scoring average. The fact he doesn’t play golf in the traditional way, is largely irrelevant.
And former winners are backing The Scientist to break Augusta and receive the coveted green jacket. Gary Player, one of five golfers to win a career Grand Slam, has said even if DeChambeau has a ‘reasonable week’, he will win the Masters. He said: “He is a step above them all, and he has a phenomenally good golf swing. They all say he has a strange swing. It might look strange, but basically in pieces it’s one of the best swings a human being could have.”
While 18-time major winner, Jack Nicklaus, believes that DeChambeau has the power to do the unthinkable. After recording a drive of over 400 yards in a practice session, which he shared on Instagram, ‘The Golden Bear’ reckons that the US Open winner could drive the first hole at Augusta – an uphill par-4 hole with a distance of 455 yards.
But let’s be honest, Augusta has been over-powered before. There was a time that the club had to ‘Tiger-proof’ the course. It was in 1997, Tiger Woods’ breakthrough year and the year he won his maiden Masters (and major) title, that he recorded some incredible drives. Not only was he 46 yards longer than any of his competitors, but 25 yards over the average too. As a result, changes were made to Augusta, including lengthening the course and strategically placing trees.
Whether or not you perceive power to be a skill, DeChambeau is certainly shaking things up, and whether or not he has what it takes to power through Augusta to win the Masters and the green jacket remains to be seen. While it’s a very different tournament this year, it’s bound to be exciting.