Bryson DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open. On Thursday, he used a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ driver at the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia. This made golf equipment fans take notice. DeChambeau is on the 2018 and 2021 Ryder Cup teams for the United States. Since he turned pro at the 2016 RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, he has been a staff player and brand ambassador for Cobra Puma Golf.
Golfweek asked representatives of Cobra Puma Golf for their thoughts on DeChambeau’s use of the TaylorMade driver, but did not hear back. Then, late Thursday night, a Cobra executive sent a text message saying, “Bryson is no longer working for CPG [Cobra Puma Golf] because his contract ended in 2022. We’re talking about 2023 and what will happen after that.”
If DeChambeau’s contract with Cobra Puma Golf ended in 2022, he is a “free agent” when it comes to clubs and doesn’t have to use any particular brand. Bridgestone and DeChambeau broke up in July after both of them joined LIV Golf.
Titleist told Golfweek that DeChambeau is playing in Saudi Arabia this week with a Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash ball.
American golfer Bryson DeChambeau hits the ball during the PIF Saudi International on February 2, 2023, in King Abdullah Economic City, which is north of the city of Jeddah on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. (AFP photo by Amer Hilabi) (Photo by Amer Hilabi/AFP/Getty Images)
There are two important things to think about when talking about Bryson DeChambeau’s golf gear in the future.
First, what is Bryson DeChambeau worth to companies that make golf equipment now? Since he won at Winged Foot in 2020, he is eligible for golf’s major championships through 2025. However, he is banned from PGA Tour events, so he won’t be able to play in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup in the future. Golf fans will only be able to see DeChambeau play in LIV Series events that air on The CW app during the week and on The CW channel on the weekends. This means that he will be much less visible.
At the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bryson DeChambeau used a Cobra driver with a 6-degree loft. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
DeChambeau also uses golf gear that most golfers would not buy because it is so specialised. Most of his drivers only have five or six degrees of loft, while most amateur golfers need at least nine or ten degrees. He has also been openly critical of his custom-made equipment on several occasions, most notably at the 2021 British Open.
“It’s great if I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, but the driver stinks right now,” he said after his first round, which was a 71 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club. “It’s not a good face for me, and we’re still trying to figure out how to make up for the misses. I’ve been telling people for a long time that I live on the edge.
That outburst got Bryson in trouble with Cobra, and Cobra Puma Golf started talking about his future with the brand.
At the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bryson DeChambeau used a Cobra wedge with a 55-degree loft. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The second thing to think about when talking about DeChambeau and his equipment is whether or not he even wants a deal with a company.
When DeChambeau confirmed that he had signed with LIV last July, he said that the deal was for four and a half years and was worth more than $125 million. He has made $26,519,235 on the PGA Tour over the course of his career, and he has signed many endorsement deals with companies like Cobra, Puma, and Bridgestone. On his website, he lists LA Golf, Rolex, NetJets, LocaliQ, NetReturn, and Zen WTR as partners. Microsoft, Club Champion, and Veritex Bank have also been on his golf bag in the past.
Would it get DeChambeau to sign with a brand if he got a few million dollars a year for a deal on his gear?
Aside from losing money, DeChambeau would not get the same level of service that Cobra has given for the past six years if it stayed an equipment-free agent.
Ben Schomin, who worked for Cobra on the PGA Tour, told Golfweek in 2021 that the company was always making custom driver heads for Bryson. He also uses irons that are all about the same length, which is about 37 1/2 inches for a 7-iron. Over the years, Schomin made a lot of changes to Bryson’s clubs.
Without being part of a big brand, it will be hard for him to find equipment that fits his swing and style.
DeChambeau has had a different view of the golf world for years, but now that he doesn’t have to buy his own gear, it could be much harder for him to see things clearly.
