Bryson DeChambeau, the winner of the 2020 U.S. Open, raised eyebrows among golf equipment fans on Thursday when he put a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ driver into play at the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia. DeChambeau, a member of 2018 and 2021 United States Ryder Cup teams, has been a staff player and brand ambassador with Cobra Puma Golf since turning pro at the PGA Tour’s 2016 RBC Heritage.
In preparing its story on DeChambeau using the TaylorMade driver, Golfweek reached out to representatives of Cobra Puma Golf for comment but did not get an answer. Then, late Thursday evening, a text message was returned from an executive at Cobra, stating, “Bryson is not currently on staff with CPG [Cobra Puma Golf] as his contract was up in 2022. We are in discussions about 2023 and the future.”
If DeChambeau’s contract with Cobra Puma Golf ended in 2022, then he is an equipment ‘free agent’ and is not obligated to use any brand’s clubs. Last July, after joining LIV Golf, Bridgestone and DeChambeau also parted ways.
Titleist confirmed to Golfweek that DeChambeau is using a Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash ball this week in Saudi Arabia.
American golfer Bryson DeChambeau tees off during the PIF Saudi International in King Abdullah Economic City, north of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, on February 2, 2023. (Photo by Amer Hilabi / AFP) (Photo by Amer Hilabi/AFP via Getty Images)
The topic of Bryson DeChambeau’s golf equipment future has two important things to consider.
First, what value does Bryson DeChambeau now have to golf equipment makers? While he is exempt into golf’s major championships through 2025 thanks to his win at Winged Foot in 2020, he is suspended from PGA Tour events, which means he will also not be a part of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup going forward. Golf fans will only see DeChambeau play in LIV Series events that stream mid-week on The CW app and The CW channel itself on the weekends, so his visibility will be significantly down.
Bryson DeChambeau’s 6-degree Cobra driver at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
DeChambeau also uses highly-specialized golf equipment that most golfers would not buy. His drivers typically have only five or six degrees of loft while most recreational golfers need at least nine or 10 degrees, and he has been openly critical of his custom-made gear on several occasions, most notably at the 2021 British…
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