Bryson DeChambeau did something Thursday at Shinnecock Hills that most golfers can only dream about. He crushed a drive so far on the par-4 12th hole that the ball rolled onto a paved road, kept going, and finally stopped 427 yards from the tee box.
The U.S. Open’s official X account posted the video with a countdown and a rocket emoji. The ball didn’t just fly. It landed in the middle of the fairway, hit the asphalt, and took off like it had somewhere to be. The hole itself is 469 yards. DeChambeau nearly drove the green.
His group started on the back nine, so the 12th was actually his third hole of the round. He ripped his typical massive swing, caught it clean, and watched it sail. When it hit the road, the ball got an extra bounce that turned a 350-yard bomb into something almost cartoonish.
He made birdie on the hole and added another on 13 before the course started to bite back. Bogeys on 15 and 16 brought him back to even par. The wind at Shinnecock was doing what Shinnecock wind always does. It makes good players look average and average players look lost.
DeChambeau won the U.S. Open in 2020 at Winged Foot and again in 2024 at Pinehurst. But he’s also missed cuts at big events, including the Masters this year. There’s no telling which version shows up from one round to the next. But when he’s on, he does stuff like this.
The 12th hole at Shinnecock is not supposed to yield 427-yard drives. The course is known for punishing guys who spray it off the tee. DeChambeau hit it straight and long and got lucky with the pavement bounce. That’s golf. Sometimes the road helps.
He finished the first round at even par, which isn’t bad on a course that chews people up. The U.S. Open has a way of humbling even the biggest hitters. But for one swing on one hole, Bryson DeChambeau looked like the Incredible Hulk with a driver in his hands.
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