Bryson DeChambeau is peaking for Masters in more ways than one

Bryson DeChambeau referred to Augusta National as “heaven” on Friday after the opening round of LIV Miami at Trump National Doral.

After shooting a two-under-par 70 in Saturday’s second round, the two-time U.S. Open champion finds himself two shots clear of Sergio Garcia and in position to arrive at the 2025 Masters in top form — both on course and off.

“I’d say I’m in a great frame of mind,” DeChambeau said after Friday’s opening round. “I’m happy about life. Got a lot of positive things going for me, not only [with my YouTube channel] but outside of that, in business, and just the people that I have around me. I think we’re stronger than ever, and that’s what matters most, ultimately. Yeah, putting on a green jacket, winning the U.S. Open trophy, winning the Open Championship, the PGA Championship, that’s all great. But really what matters to me is the people that I have around me and who I can trust.”

DeChambeau’s history at Augusta National had been riddled with struggles before last year’s edition. He finished T21 in 2016 as an amateur but failed to crack the top 25 in his next starts. That included back-to-back missed cuts in 2022 and 2023. The 2022 edition included a second-round 80 that was indicative of DeChambeau’s struggles with the iconic course.

But he found something last year. He shot an opening-round 65 and was tied for the lead at the halfway point. He went 75-73 on the weekend to finish T6. That served as the jumping-off point for a major season that saw him finish as runner-up at the PGA Championship before besting Rory McIlroy to win the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

That success is the product of supreme talent mixed with the peace found when someone becomes comfortable in their own skin.

Last year was vital for DeChambeau. Healthy after battling several injuries, he shed some of the weight gained during his bulking days and found a way to go from golf villain to fan favorite during last year’s major season.

Add in the success of his popular YouTube channel, and you get a version of Bryson DeChambeau who is happy off the course, which helped yield strong play on it last year.

So far this season, DeChambeau has not cracked the top five in a LIV event. He started the season with a T6 in Riyadh before going T18-T20-T10 in Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore. Per DataGolf, DeChambeau is seventh on LIV this season in Strokes Gained. While his driver remains a weapon (+1.55 Strokes Gained: Off The Tee), he has struggled with his iron play (-0.22 Strokes Gained On Approach) and putting (-0.41 Strokes Gained Putting).

He has been tinkering with different golf balls, hoping to find one that spun the right amount for his game. DeChambeau has currently landed on the Titelist ProV1x2025, but the search is far from over.

 “A little bit lower flighting, a little bit more control with my half shots,” DeChambeau said of his ball. “That was a big thing. Left Dash is a great golf ball in firm conditions, but when it got soft, it just super spun, and then when I tried to take half shots off of the Left Dash, it would just knuckle so that I wouldn’t get enough spin. So I have a little bit more spin throughout the bag, but on the half shots, I have a little more spin to control the golf ball on those greens a little bit. We haven’t solved the wet and dry conditions problem, but I’m working hard to figure it out, and there’s a couple cool options that are being prototyped, and we’ll see where it goes. I just like pushing the envelope with innovation a little bit.”

DeChambeau’s game has looked crisp through two rounds at Trump National Doral. He is one of just three players (Sergio Garcia, Marc Leishman) to shoot under par in each of the first two rounds.

Another solid round on Sunday could be enough to give DeChambeau his first LIV win since 2023 and have him arrive at Augusta National as one of the favorites, along with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

It’ll be the first time DeChambeau rolls down Magnolia Lane without questions surrounding his game’s ability to mesh with the hallowed grounds in Augusta, Georgia. Even if those whispers remain, it’s unlikely to matter to a man now fully comfortable with who he is and with the decisions he’s made.