SMU's Bryson DeChambeau wins the 2015 NCAA Men's Golf Individual Championship
Bryson DeChambeau becomes the first NCAA Individual Champion in the history of the SMU men's golf program.
From SMU Athletics:
BRADENTON, Fla (SMU) - Junior Bryson DeChambeau became the first NCAA Individual Champion in the history of the SMU men's golf program, winning by one stroke at 8-under after carding a 1-under 71 on Monday at the Concession Golf Club.
DeChambeau received both his national championship trophy and the Arnold Palmer Award for being the individual medalist at the NCAA Championship. The win is the third of his college career and second this season.
"It's been unbelievable; it's such an honor to win both of these awards." DeChambeau said. "I could have never imagined this in a million years growing up. It was my dream growing up to win a big event, and for amateur golf this is a major. I'm honored to win, and I'm looking forward to being back next year." . . .
The audience at the Concession Golf Club took notice of DeChambeau's unique style and personality all week. His play on Monday to close out the NCAA Championship resonated the most with the crowd.
"For a player to go out and play those last nine holes in 3-under-par (like DeChambeau did); that is really impressive," Golf Channel's Charlie Rymer, a former All-American at Georgia Tech, said.
DeChambeau is SMU's first individual NCAA champion in any sport since women's swimmer Flavia Rigamonti won the 1,650-meter freestyle national title in 2005. DeChambeau is the first NCAA individual medalist from a Texas college since Justin Leonard won for the University of Texas in 1994.
In the past calendar year, DeChambeau has represented the United States twice — at the Palmer Cup in England and helping lead the USA to a win at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship in Japan. DeChambeau reached the top 25 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and ended his season with five top-five finishes over his last six tournaments.
From the Nov. 19, 2014, edition of Golfweek:
Dechambeau finds symmetry in physics, college golf
By Andy Zunz
That's right, proton decay. Just three days after the SMU junior smoked it 348 yards off the tee to win the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic long-drive contest, he delivered a speech that he prepared for more than a month to 12 students in a particle physics classroom.
Dechambeau, you see, isn't just majoring in golf. He picked physics in order to more intimately learn the mechanics of the golf swing. It's pretty heady stuff for one of college golf's top players, but that's the life he leads, a life that includes minors in economics and math, too. . .
Introductory courses turned into upper-level and even graduate-level courses, and now Dechambeau finds himself studying less practical theory. He's balancing about 16 credit hours per semester with his practice schedule and workout regimen. But his enthusiasm hasn't wavered.