What Bryson Dechambeau can teach us about remaking our image

As one of the toughest tests in American golf, Pinehurst often yields unpredictable results. But the conclusion of the U.S. Open on Sunday produced something that seemed completely unfathomable just a few years ago:

Bryson Dechambeau, fan favorite.

When his three-foot putt dropped on the final hole, the crowd roared with delight. Dechambeau celebrated with a boisterous scream and raised his arms like a carefree kid. It was the same joyful enthusiasm he displayed throughout the week, engaging with fans and becoming the golfer everyone wanted to see.

I saw it on display Thursday evening. As I was leaving the course, long after play had ended, Dechambeau was still standing around the putting green, happily signing autographs and taking pictures with kids as the sun faded.

Not long ago, Dechambeau was golf’s biggest villain. He was a quirky, eccentric guy who approached the game differently than everyone else. He wore funny looking hats, publicly feuded with Brooks Koepka, and bulked up like a bodybuilder as he chased long drives. He gave off the air of someone who thought he was smarter and better than everyone else.

When Dechambeau defected to the Saudi-backed LIV tour in 2022, no one seemed to care.

Now, he’s arguably the most popular golfer not named Tiger Woods. So, what changed? And what can we learn from his transformation?

In recent years, Dechambeau has methodically remade his image. He made peace with Koepka. He stopped arguing with fans and started engaging with them. He launched a YouTube channel that attracts millions of viewers — can he break par with a $100 set of junior clubs from Walmart? — and provided an unguarded glimpse into his personality.

Here are four things Bryson can teach us about reshaping our image:

(1) Be authentic. In YouTube videos and fan interactions, Dechambeau seems more genuine and less robotic than earlier in his career. There’s a casual and personal feel as he gives viewers a tour of his Dallas home, unmade beds and all. The lesson: be willing to let your guard down and give people a behind-the-scenes look at who you are.

(2) Engage with your audience. Dechambeau engages with fans in a way that you rarely see in golf, frequently bantering back and forth with fans in the middle of his round. After winning one of golf’s biggest trophies on Sunday, he took it straight to the fans and spent hours in Pinehurst interacting with everyone he came across.

(3) Focus on the content your fans want. Too often, we spend our time creating content that showcases our messages without considering what our audience wants. It’s critical to create content that is valuable — while remaining authentic. It needs to be informative, entertaining, or useful to those you are targeting. That’s what Dechambeau does when he teams up with other golf personalities for unique YouTube challenges — playing with hickory clubs, or having Siri tell him what club to hit. The content showcases his talent and personality in an entertaining way.

(4) Excel at what you do. One of the primary reasons Dechambeau has become so popular is that he’s really good at golf. With one win and two top 10 finishes in major championships this year, he inserted himself into the conversation and attracted attention. If he was shooting 75 every week, we wouldn’t be talking about him.

Dechambeau has succeeded by embracing the fans, and they are returning the love.