Bryson DeChambeau will leave no stone unturned in his quest to conquer the game of golf. While most of DeChambeau’s nuances are the result of trial and error, the USGA and R&A are giving him — and the rest of golfers — a distinct advantage with an upcoming rule change.
Speaking with Golf.com editors during a recent photoshoot, DeChambeau spoke about his preference to leave the flagstick in the hole whenever possible.
“It depends on the COR, the coefficient of restitution of the flagstick,” he said. “In U.S. Opens, I’ll take it out, and every other Tour event, when it’s fiberglass, I’ll leave it in and bounce that ball against the flagstick if I need to.”
The U.S. Open utilizes thicker-than-normal flagsticks, which DeChambeau said erases the advantageous nature of normal fiberglass flagsticks.
BREAKING: Bryson DeChambeau intends to putt with the pin IN under the new Rules of Golf in 2019.
Complete story: https://t.co/ojNYXacoD4 pic.twitter.com/CrTTQfvG0l
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) November 1, 2018
When the new rules go into effect on January 1, 2019, DeChambeau jumped at the question of whether or not he would leave the flagstick in when on the green, while making a prediction about the USGA.
“Oh, absolutely,” DeChambeau said. “The USGA’s going to have to go back on that one. Like, ‘No! We made the hole bigger!’”
The rule was intended to help recreational players pick up the pace, but it may actually make the game a slight bit easier, even for those at the top level.
