Distance-obsessed, 44-shooting, Kyle Berkshire-admiring, UFO-sighting, Rocket Mortgage title-defending Bryson DeChambeau didn’t have to hit a golf shot on Thursday at Detroit Country Club to grab some attention.
Seems late Wednesday, only hours before the first round at this week’s stop on the PGA Tour, Bryson and caddie Tim Tucker agreed to part ways.
“They had a good run, and they mutually agreed yesterday afternoon to go their separate ways,” DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, explained. “Everything runs its course. Tim was getting tired and Bryson was getting tired. In any relationship they run their course, and that’s what happened here.”
Interesting that Bryson’s agent used the term “tired.” And that begs the question — was Tim tired of Bryson’s craziness or was Bryson tired of Tim serving as his right-hand man on the course?
Falkoff balked, sort of, giving a pretty vague follow-up: “It wasn’t one specific issues. It as a culmination. Like any player-caddie relationship, they had their ups and downs.”
Not sure what Tucker’s “ups and downs” were but he was the man on Bryson’s bag for all eight of DeChambeau’s wins, including last year’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
Brooks Koepka is not in this week’s field — he’s on vacation — but he still found time to jab Bryson over this caddie breakup.
Koepka took to Twitter and wrote: “Couldn’t do it without my guy Rick! Best friend and greatest caddie to do it @Rickie Elliott appreciation day.”
Brooks then added another zing at Bryson: “It just became caddie appreciation day.”
As for the tournament, things didn’t go well on day one. Inclement weather in the Detroit area caused a three-hour, 15-minute delay which meant DeChambeau and the rest of the afternoon wave would finish late but with light until after 9 p.m.
When DeChambeau finally went out, he had Ben Schomin on the bag. Schomin is the tour operations manager for Cobra Golf, the company that makes Bryson’s clubs. DeChambeau was getting yardage on his own, reading his own putts and by day’s end could only muster and even par effort of 72. It left him tied for 110th and in need of a lower round on Friday.
DeChambeau had his work cut out for him if he wants to repeat as the winner. Twenty-one-year-old Davis Thompson, the SEC Player Of The Year from the University of Georgia, turned in the best of his just-starting career with a nine-under par 63. His effort tied the course record. “The course is playing soft, I knew there would be birdies out there,” said Thompson, who hit 17 of 18 greens on his way to the first round lead.
Brandon Hagy and Tom Lewis finished in the early wave, two shots behind Thompson with 65s.
Jason Day, who contended at The Travelers despite an ailing back, opened with 67 as did last year’s runner-up to DeChambeau — Matt Wolff.
The weather delay left some on the course with holes remaining in their first round when darkness halted play.
