SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau high-fived a line of spectators, accepted a request for a selfie with a kid and then stopped to fist-bump a fan after leaving the driving range for his third round at the British Open.
Shouts of “We love you Bryson” and “Go Bryson” followed him to the first tee, where fans cheered and whooped when he was introduced by the starter.
If the American was concerned how he’d be received at Royal Birkdale the day
after his heated brush with officials and subsequent two-shot penalty that blew up the final major of the year, he needn’t have worried.
OK, there was the odd jibe from the deep galleries — “Watch your step, Bryson” was one of them — but DeChambeau enjoyed overwhelmingly positive support around the parched, sun-kissed links in his third-round 69 that left him four shots off the lead on Saturday.
In fact, golf’s big entertainer seemed to revel in it.
After hitting his tee shot at No. 1 left and onto trampled-down grass near spectators, DeChambeau flicked away a pine cone and remarked that it was a “loose impediment” — sparking some laughter.
On the second hole, he appeared to have a wry smile on his face as he assessed how to get to his ball that was buried in thick grass to the back left of the green. Every movement and practice swing by DeChambeau was met with a “ooooooh” by fans, clearly a nod to Friday and his heavily scrutinized actions in deep rough at the fifth hole that sparked the rules review.
At the par-4 sixth hole, DeChambeau drew more laughter from spectators when he addressed his second shot by stretching out his legs in an exaggerated stance — similar to how he stood for the shot in question on Friday.
Paul McGinley, an analyst on British broadcaster Sky Sports, predicted early Saturday that what happened to DeChambeau the previous would spur him on.
“Playing with a chip on your shoulder can be a good thing,” McGinley said.
It seemed more like DeChambeau was treating Saturday’s round as a chance to interact with fans, some of whom would likely have been among the nearly 2.8 million subscribers to his YouTube channel.
He rarely missed a chance to high-five spectators who stuck their hands out as DeChambeau walked from greens to tees.
Another shout came on the tee at the reachable par-4 ninth hole, imploring DeChambeau to use his driver. He obliged, slowly and theatrically removing the big stick from his bag, taking off the head cover to loud cheers and booming his drive 354 drives to the front of the green.
DeChambeau has suggested that the swelling popularity of his YouTube channel — where he has fun, comes up with some wacky ideas and shows the world a different side to him — is as important as the results he gets.
Yet not much in golf beats lifting the claret jug.
And he's still very much in contention, even if a bogey at the last ruined a back nine in which he moved back into contention after making birdie putts at Nos. 15 and 17.
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