Masters 2022: Bryson DeChambeau vows to play major against doctors’ advice
Former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau says he is risking injury by playing the Masters this week.
The big-hitting American injured his hip and hand in a table-tennis accident in February and said he had returned early against the advice of doctors.
“This comes around once a year and I got to give it a go,” said DeChambeau.
“Normally a bone fracture takes four months to fully heal and I’m back here in two. I’m pleased with that.
“I’m probably around 80 per cent right now. I can’t go all-out. I can’t do any speed training sessions. I can’t practice for excessive hours, like, I have to figure stuff out.”
The 28-year-old is not the only star trying to overcome injury at the Masters, which starts on Thursday. Tiger Woods hopes to play his first 72-hole tournament since a serious car crash last year.
DeChambeau prematurely returned to action two weeks ago at the WGC Match Play but won just half a point.
He then entered the Texas Open last week in a bid to tune up for the Masters but missed the cut.
DeChambeau suffered his injury when he fell on a marble floor while playing table tennis. He fractured a bone in his hand and hurt his hip.
“It was a huge risk a couple weeks ago,” he said
“They [doctors] recommended that I didn’t come back for a while. They said if you go out there and you hit golf balls and you feel somewhat comfortable, you can consider it.
“And hitting golf balls on the range, I was able to sustain practice for a good amount of time. So, I’m happy.”
DeChambeau took the honour of lowest scoring amateur on his Masters debut in 2016, finishing tied for 21st.
But he has only broken the top 30 once in four subsequent visits to Augusta National and failed to live up to his star billing in 2020, shortly after winning the US Open.