Bryson DeChambeau: Brand-damage comments taken the 'wrong way'

Tony Paul
The Detroit News

Detroit — You know what's good for the brand? Winning.

Bryson DeChambeau made headlines Sunday by taking home the Rocket Mortgage Classic championship at Detroit Golf Club.

A day earlier, he made headlines for all the wrong reasons — first, a heated confrontation he had with a video-camera man on the front nine, and then later when he explained why he was upset. DeChambeau explained he was irked that the cameraman kept rolling after he hit a poor bunker shot, catching his displeasure when he took a disgusted whack at the sand.

DeChambeau said he felt he deserved some privacy in that moment, and that the footage had the potential to damage his brand.

You can imagine how that went over on social media.

On Sunday night, he was asked about that incident again, and clearly had calmed down, a PGA Tour trophy and $1.35 million tending to help matters.

Bryson DeChambeau smiles after his birdie putt on the 18th green last year at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

"I mean, look, I'm not going to comment anymore on the stuff that happened yesterday," DeChambeau said. "Look, I respect everybody and I think people took it the wrong way and I'm sorry that they did so.

"My job and my idea is never to create any divisive nature, I just want to provide the best entertainment out here. I just felt like a minute-long for videoing me was kind of a little weird.

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"But we talked it out and it was all great and no issues, no issues whatsoever.

"So, appreciate what they do, appreciate everybody that works hard out here to provide great entertainment."

DeChambeau's comments Saturday came off poorly, and were chided by several media members, including noted golf analyst Eamon Lynch, who wrote for Golfweek that DeChambeau's actions and comments did significantly more to damage his brand than the footage by the cameraman.

DeChambeau, 23, earned his sixth PGA Tour victory Sunday, and his seventh straight top-10 finish.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984