Bryson DeChambeau shot 4-over 76 in his return to the PGA Tour Thursday at the Memorial after nearly eight weeks off.
After a missed cut at the Masters, DeChambeau underwent surgery on a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist.
Now the 24th ranked player in the world, DeChambeau had made five Tour starts this year, featuring three missed cuts, a T-58 and a T-25, prior to teeing it up this week at Muirfield Village.
He spoke after his first round and said that the hand feels good, but the game needs some work.
“As the day went on, there were some mis-hits and shots that just didn’t feel right,” DeChambeau said. “With my golf swing, hand felt great. No issues with that. But it just didn’t feel like the old me of 2018 like I used to, and so there’s a lot of work I have to do to get back to top form and climb that mountain again. I’m excited to do so.”
Positivity was the theme for the 2020 U.S. Open champion, even saying that being forced to take a break due to injury ended up being good for his mental health.
He’s trying to keep things in perspective as he works to get his golf game back to a championship level.
“A bit frustrating, obviously, not playing the way you want, but it’s a bit of a warm-up for me,” DeChambeau said. “I haven’t played golf in a while. First 18 holes that I have really completed without any pain and any thought of the hand in seven months … From a golf perspective, no, I hated every minute of it. But from an emotional standpoint, it was nice to finally be back again in a competitive environment.”
Full-field scores from the Memorial Tournament
DeChambeau will need a good round Friday if he hopes to play the weekend at Jack’s place, but acknowledged the Memorial as more of a test run for the event he has circled on the calendar.
“Really my eyes are set on the U.S. Open,” DeChambeau said. “That’s where I want to be full horse, all horses moving in the right direction. I’m just not there yet with everything.”
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