'Hulk' DeChambeau "Did you see the 367-yard long drive?"... Fiddling with 48-inch shaft

'91kg→ 109kg' Weight Gain of 18kg, Breaking 200 mph Ball Speed, Becoming an All-Time Great Power Hitter, Top Favorite to Win at RBC Heritage Opening on the 19th

Bryson DeChambeau has bulked up and is leading the PGA Tour in driving distance.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "Maximum 367 yards."

This is the monstrous power of 'Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA). At the Charles Schwab Challenge (total prize money $7.5 million) which ended on the 15th, he hit drives over 350 yards eight times, drawing the spotlight. On the final day at the 6th hole (par 4), he finished with a 367-yard drive. First of all, the fact that he is increasing his body size to the maximum is a hot topic. After finishing the 2019 season last September, he added 9 kg to his 91 kg weight, and recently added another 9 kg.

It is to increase driving distance. DeChambeau introduced, "During the three months when the PGA Tour was suspended due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), I kept gaining weight and now weigh 109 kg," adding, "Along with dietary control, I increased muscle mass through intense weight training at the gym." He is clearly benefiting from gaining 18 kg. In fact, the ball speed measured through a simulator exceeded 200 miles per hour.

It is interesting that DeChambeau is leading the 2020 season in average drive distance (323.8 yards). Considering he was only 34th last year (302.5 yards), this is an incredible growth. He became a 'historic slugger' by surpassing Hank Kuehne's (USA) 321.4 yards from 2003 after 17 years. He has also performed well recently, entering the 'top 5' in four consecutive tournaments including a tie for 3rd at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He also shows consistency with the 3rd best average score (68.98 strokes).

Bryson DeChambeau drew even more spotlight by driving up to 367 yards at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

The PGA Tour is also focusing on DeChambeau. He has been named the 'No. 1 favorite to win' at the RBC Heritage (total prize money $7.1 million), which opens on the 19th at Harbour Town Golf Links (par 71, 7,099 yards) in Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA. DeChambeau's 'experimental spirit' is expanding into loft and shaft length. He is already using a 5.5-degree driver dedicated to long drives and is considering the USGA-allowed maximum 48-inch shaft.

For domestic fans, the focus is on Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) aiming for his 'second win.' He secured his first victory at the Honda Classic in March and took over the No. 1 spot in the Playoff (PO) rankings with a tie for 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. After a three-month break since The Players Championship in March, he warmed up with a tie for 10th at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Currently 2nd in the money rankings ($4,044,000), he is pushing forward to compete for the PO No. 1 ranking as well as the money title.

The 'Big 5' including world No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain), No. 3 Justin Thomas, No. 4 Brooks Koepka, and No. 5 Dustin Johnson (all USA) have all declared their participation. Charles Schwab Challenge champion Daniel Berger and runner-up Collin Morikawa (both USA) will have a 'return match.' Korea is represented by Kang Sung-hoon (33), An Byeong-hun (29), Lee Kyoung-hoon (29), Kim Si-woo (25, all CJ Logistics), and 'Tank' Choi Kyung-ju (50, SK Telecom) who will compete together.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.