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Masters 2024: I was there for Bryson DeChambeau’s incredible recovery shot—here’s how it happened

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — At first glance, Bryson DeChambeau’s Masters record doesn’t inspire much confidence. His best finish here is a T-21 as an amateur. In six starts since, he’s missed two cuts and never finished better than T-29.

 

The cause of that record can be explained by one thing: big numbers. DeChambeau has averaged three double bogeys (or worse) per tournament, in each of his last five Masters tournaments. He was the first-round leader in one of those Masters. He would have ended in the top 10 in two others if he kept those holes in the bogey range. But he didn’t, which is why he’s the man with the bad record.

 

Just as it’s true for the rest of us, it’s not the bogeys that kill you, it’s the blow up holes. That’s been Bryson’s downfall at this event at Augusta National in the past, and why he was preaching a new mantra coming into this tournament.

 

“I’m trying to be more patient and knowing what the golf course can give you and what it can take away and respect it.” he said. “But when you feel like it’s gettable, you see it’s right in front of you, it can be super tricky.”

 

That quote, in its entirety, explains DeChambeau’s seven-under round of 65. The first part refers to 17 1/2 holes, and the last sentence is about one round-defining recovery. The moment when Bryson almost—and perhaps should’ve—repeated his same mistakes of the past.

 

DeChambeau was fresh off two impressive birdies on the previous three holes: the first on the 12th, where he rolled in a 17-footer for birdie; the second on the 13th, where, from 202 yards in the pine straw, he floated a fade onto the left side of the green and two-putted for birdie.

 

On the par-5 15th, DeChambeau pulled his driver and took a few deep breaths—his longstanding method of revving up his nervous system for a few extra horsepower—and sent one into the distance. The crowd was impressed, but Bryson lost his balance slightly on his follow through. As he fell back to his trail foot, his gaze lingered on his ball.

 

DeChambeau’s ordinary draw didn’t turn quite as much. The wind moving from left-to-right neutralized the little effort his ball was making in trying to come back.

 

His ball ended next to a tree, but not close enough that he’d have to worry about a stretched swing. DeChambeau briefly entertained the idea of hitting a layup shot, but in reality, he knew what he wanted to do as soon as he settled into the shot at hand. Perhaps thoughts of the 13th hole birdie from earlier were still swirling.

 

“That shot wouldn’t be any easier,” DeChambeau told his caddy as he surveyed the shot.

 

The shot DeChambeau was referring to—and the primary case for his defense—wasn’t the one he was about to hit, but the one he’d have after that. In his last season on the PGA Tour before joining LIV Golf, which doesn’t keep as detailed stats, DeChambeau finished 178th on tour in approach shots between 50 and 125 yards.

 

DeChambeau’s wedge game has never been his strength, and even less so since DeChambeau added more speed to the top of his bag.

 

“The wedge shot wasn’t going to be any easier for me,” he reiterated afterwards. “Especially downwind as the greens were getting firm.”

 

Instead, from 220 yards out, DeChambeau wanted to hit a hard, high high fade around the bundle of trees in front of him. He spent a long time diliberating the shot. He didn’t need to hit his ball onto the green, he told his caddy, but anything long and left of it would give him a relatively straightforward up-and-down opportunity.

 

The fade was an essential part here, because in order to get around the trees he needed to aim at the grandstand on the left. The goal was to hit his ball around the trees, over the water, and “get it to the back side and try to chip up.”

 

“You’ll have a look roughly half the time, and those are the times you score,” says Scott Fawcett, the co-founder of the DECADE course management system that DeChambeau has used in the past. “It is far more important that you don’t over do the aggression or do something silly when you don’t.”

 

DeChambeau should’ve pitched out and taken the slightly uncomfortable wedge shots. Even he admits it.

 

“It was a little scary of a shot,” he said. “I probably shouldn’t have done it.”

 

Nine times out of 10—hell, 99 times out of 100—he would’ve been right. But on this occasion, he was the best kind of wrong.

 

Seconds after the ball left the clubface, it touched a tree. DeChambeau began walking after his ball in a bundle of nervous energy, wincing and no doubt fearing the worst. When his ball turned dry, he threw his arms into the air and almost collapsed to the ground. His caddy handed him his putter.

 

Two putts later, DeChambeau notched the first of his three consecutive birdies.

 

“I pushed it a little bit,” he said afterwards. “It clipped the tree. I hit four pine needles rather than five, and it worked out perfectly. I got away with one.”

 

He did, indeed. DeChambeau hit on 17 at the blackjack table and turned up a four. The best thing he could do now is gather his winnings and walk away from the table ahead, but the challenge of golf is that it’s not fun to walk away from a hot hand.

 

For DeChambeau at the 2024 Masters, the question remains: Is this an example of the kind of double-bogey disaster mindset waiting to happen, as it has in the past? Or a glimpse into a man whose game has matured, and who this week might see the breaks finally go his way.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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