Bryson DeChambeau captured his first win of the 2020 PGA Tour season Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, Michigan. With his win, the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup rookie leapt from a position on the bubble at No. 8 in the Ryder Cup point standings to No. 4. The current qualifying criteria, which was revised due to COVID-19 and the reduced playing schedule, stipulates the top six players in the Ryder Cup point standings will earn a position on the U.S. squad and the remaining six positions will be selected by Captain Steve Stricker.
DeChambeau won by three-strokes ahead of Matthew Wolff, whose runner-up finished rocketed him from No. 75 to No. 27 in the Ryder Cup point standings. Wolff turned pro in 2019 and promptly picked up his first victory that same year at the 3M Open. His runner-up finish marks his first top 10 of the year and he’ll need to add a few more of those to his resume to catch the attention of Captain Stricker as he tries to vie for one of six Captain’s Selections.
Victory was the next natural step in what has been an incredible stretch of golf for DeChambeau, who has finished inside the top 10 in each of his seven starts dating back to February. He’s been a fixture at the top of the leaderboard since the Tour’s return following a three-month hiatus due to COVID-19, finishing T3, T8 and T6 in the weeks leading up to his win in Detroit. DeChambeau’s dominance has garnered just as much talk as his change in appearance. He leveraged the Tour’s three-month break to gain 20 pounds which has led to an increase in driving distance, a stat he led at 323 yards at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
