All Square has spoken to Bryson DeChambeau as he brings his unique brand of golf to this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The world number 16 spoke about engaging with fans on social media and growing the sport globally, and the European Tour’s new rules to crackdown on slow play – which he has been criticised for.
You’re back in Abu Dhabi. You’ve been here a couple of times. How are you feeling ahead of the tournament?
It’s always fun to start back here in the UAE. They’ve always been awesome to me. The people have been incredible. I enjoy coming back here because of that. They make me feel special and that warrants me coming back here for years to come.
Abu Dhabi Golf Club is an incredible layout and a very good test of golf. The fairways are tight and the greens are pure. I love coming back to golf courses that are maintained really well.
This tournament is a Rolex Series event with a world-class field. Do you have expectations that you set for yourself?
Every tournament I go in, I try and win. For me, this being a Rolex Series event, which is important, is fantastic. Every tournament I play in I have the mindset of going to win and doing my absolute best. I try to bring my A-game to every single event I play.
You’ve been playing all over the world. What are your motivations to play on different continents? Is it part of your goal to make golf more global?
Playing globally and being part of global golf is on my list. I want to be able to say I’ve won worldwide, which I’ve done. We need to show how positive an impact golf can have on communities and on people’s lives. What they’re doing here this week in Abu Dhabi is incredible. We’re literally trying to grow the game globally.
It’s been really nice to see you engage on Twitter and Instagram, after all the criticisms about slow play involving you. How much impact did the criticisms have on you and your goal to be a global player and a likeable player?
Engaging with fans, I want people to know who I truly am. I don’t want to be this guy behind closed doors who needs protecting. I want people to realise who I am as a person. I don’t want anyone else to write my legacy. I want to control that.
All I’m doing is my absolute best to be better, and that’s what I look forward to this year. A new me, a new person, and a way that’s going to represent all tours, all golf in general in a positive way to help grow the game.
This week sees the introduction of the new regulations on the European Tour, the four-point plan to tackle slow play. Do you welcome the changes?
I love it. I don’t want to be out there for six hours, nor does anybody. And there have been numerous times out there, more often than not, when I’m waiting, or our group is waiting for people to go, and so I certainly don’t want to be waiting on players. It’s going to hurt my momentum. Every time it happens, I feel like I get cold. I don’t want that to happen to people behind me or in front of me.
That’s what I’ve always been about; trying to shine a light on the game of golf and not push people away. With developing the one-length irons, having a new way of swinging the golf club and doing all these different things that look weird, but have been a massive benefit to the game – that’s what I’m about. So, when considering change like that, I welcome it.
