Bryson DeChambeau survives the wind, shares 36-hole lead at 2024 Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bryson DeChambeau likes dome golf and Friday at Augusta National Golf Club was anything but that. The wind huffed and puffed and blew away the likes of Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, who were all sent packing, but DeChambeau hung tough, recording a 1-over par 73 to share the 36-hole lead with Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa at the 2024 Masters.

When asked just how difficult the conditions were, DeChambeau called it, “At least a 10 (out of 10).”

“I’ve never experienced Augusta National in these conditions before,” he said. “Being able to stay patient and place the ball in the correct locations and just allow myself to be OK with not-so-great shots out there was a key aspect of me playing well.”

DeChambeau made an early bogey at No. 4 but bounced back with a 26-foot birdie putt at the seventh. He gave another stroke back at the difficult 11^th, but bounced back with a beauty at the par-3 12^th.

Bryson DeChambeau birdies Golden Bell to retake the lead. #themasters pic.twitter.com/C2EP0Bwxsc

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2024

“I was just praying this was the right number,” he said of his tee shot, and it was, stopping less than 10 feet from the hole. He tacked on another birdie at the par-5 13^th despite spraying his tee shot way right into the pine trees. DeChambeau studies his options and decided to play out to the 14^th fairway rather than punch back into the 13^th fairway. Before he played his shot he removed a large signpost that he estimated weighed 30 pounds.

“Wasn’t too bad,” he said. “I was trying to direct people. Trying to get people to go to the restrooms or I don’t know, I mean, look, for me, it was the only option.”

That birdie gave DeChambeau the solo lead at 8 under but he bogeyed the next hole. At 17, he had just 87 yards to the hole at the 440-yard par 4.

“I smoked it. Was it the longest (drive of the day)?” he asked of his 353-yard poke.

It was but he missed his birdie putt, trying to play he said, “between 4 and 12 inches (of break) depending on the gust.”

DeChambeau finished with a bogey to slip back into a tied at 6-under 138 but it was an impressive performance nonetheless and set him up to play in the final group in the third round alongside Homa.

What has he learned about himself the past two days?

“That I’m a little bit better of a wind player than I thought I was maybe,” he said.