Bryson DeChambeau is one of golf’s most dangerous men. He can bully a course with his exceptional distance and dialled-in chipping.
We’ve seen it most prominently in his two United States Open victories, especially his iconic bunker shot in his most recent success at Pinehurst No. 2.
But one course he could never master was Augusta National, or at least until recently. Prior to 2024, DeChambeau’s best result at the Masters was finishing T21 as the low amateur in 2016.
He made the top 30 just once in his next six starts in Georgia, and even missed the cut twice in succession in 2022 and 2023.
But it was two years ago that his luck started to change at Augusta. He finished T6 in 2024, albeit at -2 and way off the pace of Scottie Scheffler (-11), before finishing T5 last year.
DeChambeau was in the final pairing with old rival Rory McIlroy, who he beat in dramatic fashion to win the 2024 US Open. He even took a brief lead from the Northern Irishman after the second hole.
But a final day score of 75 saw him drop down the leaderboard to T5 alongside Im Sung-jae. His Masters betting record may finally be heading in the right direction, but can he go one better in 2026?
LIV form and a tricky start
We’re only three tournaments into the 2026 LIV Golf season, during which the Saudi-backed league has expanded to four-day tournaments.
After finishing T17 in Riyadh, DeChambeau was a more respectable T3 next time out in Adelaide. He then won in South Africa.
The expanded format gives him more rounds to find his rhythm before Augusta.
The LA Golf split
What might not come at the right time for DeChambeau is his split from supplier LA Golf.
The American had a long-standing relationship with the brand and even won both his majors with their custom-made shafts, but a disagreement with CEO Reed Dickens over DeChambeau’s reported desire to become a majority owner severed the ties.
While his agent confirmed he is no longer an ambassador but ‘remains a customer’ and still has the shafts in his bag for now, the uncertainty around his set-up heading into the most important weeks of the year is far from ideal for a player as equipment-obsessive as DeChambeau.
Can he challenge?
Despite all of that, DeChambeau is still the most likely man outside of Scheffler and McIlroy to win the Green Jacket, coming in as the third favourite.
Two consecutive top-six finishes at Augusta show a player who has finally figured out how to compete on a course that once frustrated him.
His power off the tee neutralises Augusta’s length, and his short game, when dialled in, gives him the ability to recover from the inevitable mistakes the course forces.
The golf betting odds of 14/1 reflect that, and with many bookmakers paying out on six places (including ties), an each-way bet makes plenty of sense given his recent performances in the Georgia pines.
The LA Golf situation introduces some uncertainty. However, DeChambeau is too good a player, and his Augusta trajectory too positive, to dismiss.
