Gearing up for the Masters Tournament is difficult enough without one's nemesis reminding you of past mistakes, but such is the predicament facing Bryson DeChambeau this week.
That's after social media personality Paige Spiranac revived her rivalry with the PGA Tour star ahead of next week's showdown at Augusta National. The pair have clashed on numerous occasions in the past, with Spiranac taking aim at DeChambeau for previously not affording one of golf's most celebrated courses the respect it deserves.
Augusta National is largely regarded as one of golf 's toughest venues to play in the United States, hence why winning the Masters' Green Jacket is regarded as such a feat. But it was in early 2020 that big-hitting DeChambeau seemingly thought he'd make light work of the Georgia test.
“ I’m looking at it as a par 67 for me because I can reach all the par fives in two, no problem," the 28-year-old said at the time. “If the conditions stay the way they are, that’s what I feel like par is for me."
DeChambeau went on to tie for 34th that year and took a share of 46th in 2021, his worst result at any Masters Tournament to date. His best performance at Augusta happened to be his debut appearance in 2016 when he finished joint-21st as an amateur, with his pre-tournament prophesising apparently no aid on the fairways.
And a week out from The Scientist's return to Georgia, Spiranac was only too happy to remind her old rival of his previous posturing. Although the 2020 U.S. Open champion has since ended his wait for a major, YouTube and Instagram hit Spiranac wasn't about to let him off so easily.
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Taking to Twitter this week, she reminded her 514,000 followers: "Remember when Bryson called Augusta National a par 67. Good times." And others were swift to join the pile-on, with one fan posting a screenshot of DeChambeau's less-than-enviable record at the Masters.
Another superstitious subscriber commented former college champion DeChambeau got his comeuppance for taunting Augusta: "There’s just certain things you don’t do. Not respecting a golf course cause it will destroy you and being cocky in beer pong because they will always make the next cup."
One can perhaps understand why a phenomenal driver of the ball like DeChambeau was feeling confident about his chances given some of the totals registered at Augusta in recent years. Each of the past four champions have bested the 288-par course with an overall score of 278 or under.
Ironically, Dustin Johnson won his Green Jacket with a record-breaking tally of 268 (20-under) in the same year DeChambeau made the comments in question. Averaging a 67 (five-under) on all four days of the competition would have produced Johnson's winning score.
Despite speaking out against DeChambeau in the past, Spiranac has insisted her jibing is "all in good fun." The former Cactus Tour competitors also acknowledged that while she may have crossed lines in the past with her barbs, she's at least "tried to do it in a humorous way."
The 2022 Masters tees off on Thursday, April 7, and is set to conclude on Sunday, April 10. Jon Rahm enters the competition as favourite ahead of Justin Thomas, while DeChambeau is a slight outsider as he looks to finish inside the top 10 of a tournament for the first time this year.
