Bryson DeChambeau Experiences Real Speed Before Indy 500

Bryson DeChambeau Experiences Real Speed Before Indy 500 image

INDIANAPOLIS — Two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau once hit a golf ball 221 mph with his driver.

That’s exactly as fast as some of the cars will be racing in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

“It would be really cool,” DeChambeau said Saturday, sitting overlooking the front stretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, “to hit a ball down the straightaway, see if you could land it in a car going by you.”

It’s just another wild idea from golf’s ultimate challenge-seeker.

Beyond the Traditional Golf Spotlight

Most golf fans know DeChambeau from his move to LIV Golf and his major championship success, including the U.S. Open title he’ll defend at Oakmont in a few weeks.

But he’s built an even broader following through his YouTube channel, which now boasts nearly 2 million subscribers. There, he takes on all sorts of challenges: trying to break 50 with partners ranging from Sergio Garcia to Donald Trump, attempting course records at public tracks he’s never seen, and competing against top junior players.

This digital success, combined with his energetic personality that was on full display at both the Masters and PGA Championship, has helped DeChambeau transcend golf entirely.

“I saw what Dude Perfect was doing, and then Mr. Beast, and they grew the channels like crazy, and encapsulated a massive audience, and I was like, ‘Man, I’m a sports player. I’m a professional. Why can’t I do that?'” DeChambeau said. “So I took it upon myself — I found the right team, got started, and five years later, here we are.”

Here being the “Racing Capital of the World.”

Trading Clubs for Cars

DeChambeau visited Indianapolis Motor Speedway partly to film a behind-the-scenes documentary for LIV, which has a tournament coming to The Club at Chatham Hills just north of Indianapolis in August. But he also wanted to experience the atmosphere before the Indy 500, which will draw about 350,000 fans on Sunday.

During his visit, DeChambeau spent time with Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin, hit tee shots with Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood from the Turn 2 terrace onto Brickyard Crossing (the golf course with four holes inside the track), and suited up for a two-seater ride around the 2.5-mile oval at nearly 180 mph.

“Going around the track was actually insane,” he said. “I mean, it was the craziest. Now I understand racing. I get it, that feeling — a rush. It’s unlike anything you can experience elsewhere. It’s a rollercoaster, but way faster and lower to the ground, and I hated rollercoasters growing up. The G-forces are just incredible.”

DeChambeau wasn’t alone in his speedway experience. WWE star Titus O’Neil, Creed band members, Grammy nominee Omar Apollo, Mary and Romain Bonnet from “Selling Sunset” and actress Katherine McNamara from “Shadowhunters” also participated in the session.

Stepping Outside His Comfort Zone

These kinds of public appearances might have made the earlier version of DeChambeau uncomfortable. But his social media success has helped him become more at ease in situations that push his boundaries.

“I’ve kind of gotten out of my box more,” he said. “This is another one where I was like, ‘You just got to go.’ I wasn’t afraid at all. It was just, ‘What am I going to feel like?’ The unknown. And I’m like, ‘I’m not in control of this at all.'”

“And then you get to that first corner and you’re like, ‘My goodness, am I in for a treat.’ And feeling that the whole way around, and looking up through the helmet. I can’t imagine what it’s like on race day with 32 others out there.”

DeChambeau’s schedule won’t allow him to stick around for the actual race, but he’ll be watching on TV Sunday.

“Kirkwood, I mean, he’s awesome. I really like him,” DeChambeau said. “And he’s a decent golfer, too, as well.”

Robert Jenkovich avatar
Robert Jenkovich
5 months ago