Bryson DeChambeau put a new driver in the bag at LIV Greenbrier, and it worked to the tune of a closing 12-under 58 for a six-shot victory over Mito Pereira.
DeChambeau, who for years played a Cobra driver before switching to a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus earlier this year, arrived at Greenbrier Resort for this week’s LIV Golf event wielding a Krank Golf Formula Fire LD driver.
Krank drivers have won 26 World Long Drive championships, according to Krank’s website. The Formula Fire LD, which is on the USGA’s conforming list, is constructed of beta titanium that Krank says is “significantly harder than virtually any other driver on the planet.”
DeChambeau, who has participated in a few WLD events, was hesitant to elaborate on the driver when asked about it on Saturday, initially saying, “I plead the fifth.” But he eventually opened up, calling the Formula Fire LD a “great driver.”
“How do I say this? It’s probably performed the best I’ve ever had in the past five years in professional golf for me, ever since 2018 when I was striping it early in the year,” DeChambeau said. "... I don’t want to say too much. It’s fantastic for anyone that’s over 175 ball speed.”
DeChambeau added that the driver has recently reduced the amount of post-round grind sessions.
“Just a cool-down session, and that’s really it,” he added. “Ever since I put this driver into play, it’s not been really my golf swing. It’s just hit on the toe, hit on the heel, everything comes back down the middle of the fairway, and I’m like, all right, let’s go, pick up the tee and let’s go. The driver has been really nice. It’s allowed me to have some time to myself after rounds instead of going and working my butt off all the time.”
Sunday, DeChambeau made 13 birdies and one bogey for the first sub-60 round – and his first individual win – in league history.
Not a bad competitive debut for the new driver.
