Among the number of growing curiosities surrounding Bryson DeChambeau is the accusation that the 2020 U.S. Open champ fails to properly yell “FORE” on errant drives. DeChambeau himself has dismissed these claims. “I do shout ‘Fore,’” he said at this year’s Open Championship. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There are plenty of people on the tee box that do shout ‘fore.’ You’re bringing up a very controversial thing, which is unfortunate. But 99 percent of the time I do [shout], and unfortunately people think I don’t. But that’s OK, they can say whatever they want.”
Despite DeChambeau’s defense, the criticism remains. And that criticism bubbled up Thursday, this time coming not from fans or media but one of DeChambeau’s fellow pros.
That would be Richard Bland, the 48-year-old journeyman who surprisingly held the 36-hole lead in June’s U.S. Open in just his second appearance at the event. While Bland’s play at Torrey Pines introduced the Englishman to American crowds, it was his words on social media that garnered attention Thursday afternoon.
During the first round of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, in which DeChambeau is competing but Bland is not, Bland tweeted the following: “Bryson ploughing it into the crowd again off the tee & no shout of “FORE.” Maybe it needs someone to get seriously injured for him to learn.”
It is unclear which tee shot angered Bland—DeChambeau hit 11 of 14 fairways on Thursday—yet it is highly unusual for a professional to publicly call out another professional for breaching etiquette.
DeChambeau shot a five-under 65 in Round 1 at TPC Southwind, putting him in T-6 entering Friday.