By Stephen Hennessey
For anybody paying attention to golf in the latter half of 2018, you’ve witnessed Bryson DeChambeau’s ascension to greatness. The 25-year-old won four events in a five-month span to rise to No. 5 in the world, all while doing things very differently than your average tour pro—using a compass for putting, developing theories on putting with the flagstick in next year … and on, and on.
Related: DeChambeau set for Omega Dubai Desert Classic return in 2019
One of those wacky things included DeChambeau being spotted spraying his golf balls with salt water on the range during the FedEx Cup playoffs. Turns out, there’s more to his methods of prepping golf balls for tournament play: DeChambeau actually soaks them in salt water to ensure they’re properly balanced.
It’s not too crazy of a theory—back in the day, Ben Hogan would float his golf balls in salt water to ensure they were balanced. Of course, the manufacturing process of golf balls has improved two-fold from the days of Hogan. Still, DeChambeau insists on the precision. It appears he tried to convince his playing partner at the QBE Shootout this week, Kevin Na, to get on board, according to Golf Channel reporter Chantel McCabe there in Naples, Fla., and Na had a funny rebuttal to the mad scientist:
Kevin says Bryson has been trying to get him to float his golf balls in Epsom salt.
Kevin said, “I would if I had time.”
AKA “Nah, I’m good.”— Chantel McCabe (@ChantelMcCabeGC) December 7, 2018
Pretty hilarious. Na, the long-time veteran, has made quite the living on the PGA Tour—earning more than $28 million in on-course earnings in his 15-plus-year career. So we’re not surprised the 35-year-old doesn’t want to adapt to DeChambeau’s water-balancing method.
Though, say what you want about DeChambeau—his ways have led to his quick ascent to elite status in golf. Maybe there’s something to balancing your golf balls in salt water…
