Norton: Golf’s latest search for a breakout star has come to the quirky little laboratory of Bryson DeChambeau.
The 24-year-old physics major known as the “Mad Scientist” won his second straight event in the FedEx Cup play-offs on Monday, shooting a 4-under-par 67 at TPC Boston to win the Dell Technologies Championship by two strokes over Justin Rose.
It was the third win of the year for DeChambeau, who also won the play-off opener at Ridgewood and is guaranteed the No. 1 seed for the Tour Championship regardless of what happens in the third round. And he solidified his claim to be one of Jim Furyk’s captain’s picks for the American Ryder Cup team, where he would join the likes of Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, back-to-back US Open winner Brooks Koepka and others who have staked a claim to follow Tiger Woods as golf’s next big thing.
“People can put that title on me, but I’m not going to. Never will,” DeChambeau said after finishing at 16-under 268 to claim his second straight $1.62 million (Dh5.95 million) first prize.
“I’m just a player out here trying to do my absolute best. And I’ll say that every single time,” he said. “It is cool to have people say that to you. And it is an honour, it really is. At this moment going forward, though, I’m just going to keep going about my business and doing what I can do.”
— AP
