Bryson DeChambeau, the resident golf ball basher (and U.S. Open champ) on the PGA Tour has been buddying around with Kyle Berkshire these days.
In case you don’t follow the World Long Drive Tour, Berkshire is the 2019 champion and recently, hanging out with DeChambeau, hit an eight-iron that traveled, drum roll please, —- 302 yards!
Crazy number.
Berkshire has played some college golf at North Texas State in Denton but now he’s got something else on his mind besides spending time as a significant player in the world of long ball.
He aspires to compete on the PGA Tour.
Now that’s a horse of a different color. We’ve seen this before with Canadian Jamie Sadlowski, a former winner of the World Long Drive competition.
Sadlowski decided to pursue his own tour pro dreams back in 2016. Jamie won a 2016 U.S. Open local qualifier and even made some cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Sadlowski won World Long Drive titles at young age and spent more than 10 years competing on that circuit and showing up at as many as 80 corporate events a year. It caused a sort of “burnout” for Sadlowski.
“Things have changed, Bryson has changed so much now just in the last year,” Sadlowski says. “We were always of the opinion that you can’t do both, it’s impossible. But now the more you read, the more you see what these guys are doing, you see Tony, you see Bryson, you see Rory, DJ, all these guys what they’re doing. I had that, I owned that, and I changed it.”
Berkshire does understand it’s a tough path to make it to the PGA Tour.
Patience will be a must. Bershrie says he is “ahead of schedule” and has received encouragement from DeChambeau. The two have become fast friends. Berkshire was impressed with Bryon’s gym routine and of course Bryson was dazzled by Kyle’s distance.
Berkshire has no specific timetable and will start at the bottom of the ladder at some Florida mini-tour events.
Truth be known, he could get exemptions into PGA Tour events without much trouble.
“If I emailed every event I could asking for an exemption, it’s very probable I wouldn’t have to write too many before I would get one,” Berkshire said recently. “But I want to make sure I make this entrance the right way. I don’t want to shoot 80-80 and get blown away. I want to go out, I want to make a statement. I’ll know when I’m ready.”
One Comment
baxter cepeda
My friend sent me the YouTube video when these two beasts of golf met at Brysons gym.
They do incredible lifting work before somehow not breaking thru Brysons simulator with those 300 yard carry 8 irons.
Awesome power.
That session was simply epic.
Things are changing in golf. But it still comes down to chipping and putting.
I always think it’s easier for a big Pga tour guy to go long drive then vice versa. But no doubt a guy like Berkshire can be successful in your golf with the right help; which seems to be happening.
He seems like a cool guy. At one point bryson says he would love to be able to go full long drive and Berkshire reminds him he is doing pretty well winning majors.
Great video.