‘The People’s Champion’! A nickname that Bryson DeChambeau received after his remarkable win at the 2024 U.S. Open. But it wasn’t always like that. You would agree as well if you take a look at the drama around the golfer’s 2021 Open Championship moment when he exclaimed how “The driver sucks.” And this distaste is what he hated prompting him to turn to YouTube to showcase his “true self.”

The 31-year-old LIV Golf Pro was spotted mentioning the same in the newest episode of the ‘Break 50’ series alongside Phil Mickelson. “People had a thought process of, you know, kind of who I was, and I didn’t like the way that was going,” said DeChambeau as he recounted the image the fans had of him back in 2020-2021. “I decided to take it upon myself to show a little bit more of who I am, and quite honestly, it was an eye-opening experience.” The result of it all? More than 1.55 million subscribers on YouTube, not to mention the 1.7 million followers he has on Instagram.

Remember the first video that DeChambeau dropped on YouTube back on May 24, 2021; ‘A Week On Tour’? Well, he sure hasn’t forgotten it. “It was the Byron Nelson and I showcased, you know, what it was all about, what we did, how we went throughout the week, where I went,” said the pro as he recalled, “It got close to a million views within, like a couple of weeks… And it just opened my eyes to how people can perceive who you truly are when you present them what you’re actually doing.”

Seems like that was quite a start to his content creation career! Well, you got that right. He then alluded to the other content creators including ‘Dude Perfect’ before mentioning how it would help the game of golf massively. “This could really affect juniors in an amazing way,” added Bryson DeChambeau as he highlighted the massive following that the various influencers had. “If I could just capture some of that and bring them into golf, that’s an amazing way to grow the game. That’s what I want for the game… to be healthy and grow forever because it creates amazing relationships.”

People grow over time, and so did DeChambeau. For what started as a way to correct people’s perception of him turned into a noble cause. Moreover, he all started this during COVID, back in 2020. “I had no idea what life was going to look like after,” revealed the LIV Golf Pro to Phil Mickelson. “I said ‘let’s just video this,’ cause if something goes back to normal, then I want to be able to have that.” And quite a journey it was, to millions of subscribers on YouTube.

Fans are important for Bryson DeChambeau

Remember the interview ‘The Scientist’ gave at the 2024 PGA Championship? He had recounted his journey with YouTube back then before admitting how fans were important in the whole picture. “I’ve worked really hard to have people help hopefully understand who I am a little bit better,” said the athlete in an interview after round 3 before confessing how “YouTube has been a great platform to help that out.”

That’s not all. He even mentioned how entertaining the fans is as important as winning trophies. “Being able to entertain the fans is what we’re all here to do,” said Bryson DeChambeau as he continued, “And I think that’s the most important thing… It just keeps my brain fresh and in an entertainment mode, and realizing what the game is all about, not just for myself and winning money or winning trophies but entertaining, as well.”

No wonder the golfer was able to rake in so many followers through his content which included YouTube videos, podcasts, and instructional videos, not to mention the ‘Break 50’ ones. Regardless of what people thought of him back in 2021, he sure has put in a lot of effort through the years.