Bryson DeChambeau's Masters bid in November was hampered by a bout of illness at Augusta National, which he has blamed on the frontal lobe in his brain "crazy overworking"
Friday 15 January 2021 20:58, UK
Bryson DeChambeau offered a bizarre explanation of his illness at the Masters, claiming his dizzy spells were a result of his "crazy overworking brain".
DeChambeau underwent tests for coronavirus following his second round at Augusta National after complaining of feeling unwell and, after testing negative, he completed a disappointing tournament in a tie for 34th place.
The US Open champion then had a series of further examinations to determine the cause of his symptoms, and his medical team concluded that his brain had been "crazy overworking" in his preparation for the final major of 2020.
DeChambeau's physical transformation has been well-documented over the last 18 months, gaining around three stone in muscle mass in his relentless pursuit of swing speed and extra distance - the crucial factor in his six-shot US Open victory at Winged Foot in September.
But he revealed the numerous thought processes off the course had taken their toll during Masters week, in which he finished a shot behind final-round playing partner - 63-year-old Bernhard Langer.
"I went to multiple doctors trying to figure out what it was," said DeChambeau, whose next appearance will be in the star-studded Saudi International, live on Sky Sports Golf from February 4-7.
"I got a couple of MRIs, I went to an inner-ear doctor, had eye tests and ear tests, and they even did ultrasounds on my heart and neck.
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"But one thing I will tell you is I've done a lot of brain training, and the frontal lobe of my brain was working really, really hard. That's what gave me some weird symptoms. It was like crazy overworking.
"It all took a toll. I don't think it was exactly that specific thing. But it was a combination of a few things that escalated my brain, overworking and just giving out.
"As I started to relax my brain a bit and get into a more comfortable situation and into a really good sleep schedule routine, a lot of those symptoms went away.
"They come back once in a while, but as I do a lot of breathing it goes away and that's what I'm focused on trying to do now."
DeChambeau remains confident that his extra power will lead him to the top of the world rankings despite the current dominance of Dustin Johnson, with his main goal being to register 210mph ball speed with his driver.
The 27-year-old has been working with World Long Drive champion Kyle Berkshire in practice and has topped 200mph regularly on the range, although he topped out at 194mph during last week's Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.
"That just shows you how the brain reins you in," DeChambeau added. "It's going 'no, I need to hit it straight because I am a professional golfer and I still need to keep it in play on every hole'.
"So you kind of lose that ability to just free yourself up and let it go. I can get it over 200mph, no problem, so it's just about how can I get that onto the golf course now."
