The Psychic relaxes after the white knuckled back nine at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Usually a beer drinker, the tension of those final holes forced the Psychic to have one more Arnold Palmer to relax. (The King’s favorite drink made with lemonade and iced tea and of course with Ketel One Vodka.). 

The long and very intimating 18^th hole brought the tough week of golf to a fitting climax. With DeChambeau clinging to a one-shot lead, every shot on the final hole was filled with drama. Highlights: Westwood hitting his second shot over the water from mid-fairway; his Titleist resting in a sand filled divot. Westwood draining a slippery-slide fast six-footer. And finally, DeChambeau stood alone on the stage that was built by The King. Focused on the spotlight with his unorthodox, stiff-armed putting stroke, DeChambeau was attempting to prove, once again, that he knows best. Another perfect stroke! Another pure roll! DeChambeau raises his arms to the sky as he looks to the heavens. 

Winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational moved DeChambeau to the top of the podium! The pressure packed, must make five-footer, was even bigger than Bryson cursing at the U.S. Open Championship.

Let’s all have another Arnold Palmer, double Ketel.  

As the final holes at Arnold’s Tournament played out, the Psychic felt sorry for Lee Westwood. At age 47, Westwood again showed why he has been among the elite players in golf for the past 25 years. Westwood’s ball striking has always been excellent, but his inability to make critical putts has left him shaking the hand of the ultimate Major Champion. It is a scene that has played out far too often.

The Psychic loves Bryson DeChambeau. The Psychic has believed that DeChambeau would join the all-time golf greats since he finished T-21 in the 2016 Masters. (Westwood finished T-2 in 2016 Masters)

This time the Psychic needs no crystal ball to know where DeChambeau is taking golf. He alone has used technology to master the game. Not the technology in terms of better computers. Not the technology of 5G or 6G, but the technology of statistical analysis. DeChambeau and his caddie, Tim Tucker, know and evaluate the odds from every angle, grass length, wind, grain, and many others factors mortal golfers never imagine. 

When all those statistics are added to the strength that he gained during the COVID crisis, DeChambeau will become the favorite in every event he enters. He has the Tiger factor – but without Tiger’s charisma. Golf fans, people who were not golf fans all loved Tiger. Need proof – look at the out-pouring of love during the recent auto accident.

There is no Tiger-like love for DeChambeau. He is not a bad-boy, like John Daley. DeChambeau is more like “Fat Jack” – the boyish image of Jack Nicklaus, the fat kid who was trying to de-throne Arnold Palmer. The Psychic believes that in time DeChambeau will become accepted, like many before-their-time exceptional players.

Now the golf course changer at The Players!

The Psychic was stunned when the “committee”, as in rules committee, for The Players Championship, changed the golf course to stop DeChambeau from making the dog-legged left 18^th into a dog-legged right. DeChambeau mentioned that he might follow the path taken by amateur, Jeevan Sihota, in the Junior Players Championship last year. Jeevan drove his golf ball into the 9^th fairway. “The landing area is much wider to the 9^th fairway and the angle to the 18^th green is more favorable,” said the extremely long hitting Jeevan.

Prior to the start of The Players Championship, the 9^th fairway was marked with white stakes as an inside-the-golf-course out of bounds. When asked the reason for the change, the committee said, “The change was made for safety reasons.

In Tiger’s early days The Masters committee attempted to Tiger-proof the golf course by lengthening the course and adding rough. But never did they add OB stakes to change the golf course. 

Yes, DeChambeau the golfer, the scientist, the weightlifter, the game changer (with same length shafts and armlock putting and oversized grips) has become a golf course changer.

What will be next in the extremely interesting career of Bryson DeChambeau the Psychic ponders… as he finished off his Arnold Palmer, with double Ketel.