It's no secret that Bryson has put on a few pounds and found distance off the tee, you only have to tune in to the golf at any time of the day and the commentators are probably talking about it and it wasn't all positive. Nicknamed the 'mad scientist' it seemed as though he was living up to the name, but was there some method to the madness? Let's take a look at some of the facts.
During the 3 month break due to Covid-19 Bryson packed on an astonishing 20 pounds of muscle, that's a lot by anybody's standards and during a world pandemic it does take a certain level of dedication. During the 2019 season Bryson ranked T34 in driving distance with an average distance of 302 yards off the tee and an average ball speed of 175 mph with the driver. After the extended break this year Bryson has come back ranked 1st in driving distance with an average of 324 yards and during the recent tournament in Texas he achieved median ball speeds of 190 mph! That's an astonishing leap. Ok so he's gained some speed and that's impressive but we've all heard the saying "drive for show, putt for dough" so can Bryson make good use of his new found speed.
At Colonial Country Club we got to see the power of the mad scientist he finished in 3rd place with a total of 14 under par just narrowly missing out in the playoff between Daniel Berger and Colin Morikawa. Last year Bryson failed to make the cut at the venue and expressed in an interview how it didn't suit his game, this year he averaged 344 yards from the tee and gained 7.3 strokes on the field tee to green. Safe to say yes he can put that new speed to good use. If there was ever a course that Bryson might find tricky it would be Harbor Town for the RBC Heritage, a course that demands game management and finesse. Well Bryson led the field once again in strokes gained off the tee and finished in 8th place, yet another top 10.
So why do all the media and presenters seem to mock what Bryson has done? He has seen a way he can get ahead, put a plan in place and clearly achieved it. I mean if Tiger Woods, arguably the best player ever to live went through a similar transformation then why aren't more people following suit. If you ask me as a fellow tour professional and competitor of Bryson I can only admire what he's done and the rewards are there for us all to see. I think soon we are going to see the mad scientist win a lot more.
