AUGUSTA, Ga. (Reuters) – Bryson DeChambeau said on Monday that he “can’t go all-out” and was around 80% healthy as he continues to recover from hand and hip injuries but will put the advice of doctors to one side and tee it up at this week’s Masters anyway.
The American fractured the hamate bone in his left hand and tore the labrum in his left hip when he slipped on freshly wiped marble floors while playing table tennis, forcing him to withdraw from February’s Saudi International.
“Not paying attention, I Charlie Brown’d myself and went horizontal and then hit my left hip and my hand at the same time, and that really just took me out,” he told reporters.
“That’s when it got to the point where I couldn’t even grip the golf club. I tried to play that week, and it was impossible.”
DeChambeau took a break from the game to recover and said he was proud of his progress.
“Normally a bone fracture takes four months to probably fully heal and I’m back here in two,” he said.
“Pleased with that. And hitting golf balls on the range today, I was able to sustain practice for a good amount of time. So, I’m happy.”
He admitted that he goes “against the grain” and that his doctors were not fully on board with the hard-hitting 28-year-old’s decision to compete at the year’s first major.
“They recommended that I don’t come back for a while … they are like, you should really let it heal,” said DeChambeau, the 2020 U.S. Open champion who will be playing in his sixth Masters.
“And even (coach) Chris (Como) has told me, you probably shouldn’t play, even though he wants me to play obviously.
“But he’s really looking out for my best interests for the future. I’m like, man, this only comes around once a year and I’ve got to give this a go.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris)
