Fans have mostly seen Bryson DeChambeau‘s fun side on YouTube. His off-course persona, where at times he’s caddying for celebrities, challenging his colleagues through all the fun and banter. But this time, DeChambeau was at the Belmont Country Club, his childhood course. This time, he had to break his father’s long-standing course record—an 8 under 64. As easy as it might seem for a two-time major champion, the place ended up bringing more than childhood memories for him.

Midway through the video, after shooting an eagle, Bryson paused at a spot where a beautiful clock stood tall. The dark marble bore the name of his dad, Jon DeChamebeau. Standing before it, DeChamebau’s voice softened as he explained the story behind it.

“So, when my dad passed, he was a huge part of this golf club. And a couple of years ago, I dedicated this clock (in 2023). I bought this clock and dedicated it to my dad.” Directing at a quote that was engraved, he continued: “And this quote, albeit he never said it, felt like it embodied him the best.” He never met a stranger, and tee times waited for him. ‘Love you, Dad.”

On the surface, the message appears simple. But it captures everything that Jon represented. A warmth, community, and a life that revolved around the game he loved and then later passed on to his son. Jon DeChambeau was born around 1959 and lived until November 2022, passing away at 63. Like his son, he was a talented golfer who had tried his hand at collegiate golf at the University of Arizona in the early 1980s. In his young days, he competed at several PGA Tour events, and his record at the Belmont Country Club is likely from those times.

Bryson loved his dad dearly. Time and again, he has spoken about his presence in his life.

“Whenever tough times came about and I wanted to quit, he would always sit down with me and say, ‘Bryson, you have to push through this,'” Bryson once explained in an interview. “It was pretty cool that he was able to do that for me at a young age, whether it was basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, or whatever it was.”

Jon lived with this mindset of perseverance. His battle with diabetes is proof.

Diagnosed with diabetes in his early thirties, Jon spent decades battling its complications. By 2014, both of his kidneys had failed, which forced him into regular dialysis treatments. Those were tough times, as DeChambeau often recalls in some of his interviews. But through it all, Jon was always there for his son.

In 2015, despite his fragile health, he flew to Chicago for a single day just to watch Bryson play at the US Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields. That was the first time he’d ever seen his son compete in person. Bryson eventually won that match.

“For him to be here for this moment, it’s special. And it chokes me up,” DeChambeau said afterward his win.

These are the reasons that Bryson has often continued his father’s legacy. In 2023, he partnered with his longtime coach, Mike Schy, to launch the Central Valley Jon DeChambeau Memorial Junior Tour to make competitive golf affordable for young players. He has also filed plans for the Jon DeChambeau Student Golf Facility, a 22.5-acre training center in Clovis for local school students.

And DeChambeau isn’t the only one who remembers his dad’s honor. In 2023, Jon was honored posthumously as the honorary marshal at the 76th Len Ross Memorial Junior Golf Tournament, an event DeChambeau himself had won as a junior several times.

But still, all these fall short of what Bryson did for his dad rather recently.

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A Father’s Day gift like never before from Bryson DeChambeau

Perhaps the most emotional gift that Bryson DeChambeau could have given to his dad (because he’s given him many) was on June 16, 2024, when he won his second US Open title at Pinehurst No. 2. Nearly two years after losing his father, DeChambeau stood on golf’s grandest stage after edging Rory by a single stroke in a nail-biting finish.

“First off, I want to say a Happy Father’s Day to every father out there. This one is for him,” Bryson said as he opened his winner’s speech, visibly emotional. Later, in his press conference, he shared what that victory actually meant for him.

“I always wanted my parents, especially my dad, to witness not only a PGA Tour event but also a major championship. I knew I could get it done…knew I could win…had the game to do it, but I didn’t know how long he had.”

The final moments of that championship were one for the storybooks. On the 18th hole, DeChambeau faced a daunting 54-yard bunker shot and delivered what he called the “shot of my life,” leaving the ball just four feet from the hole to seal the victory. What’s more emotional was that this was the same course where Payne Stewart, one of Jon DeChambeau’s favorite players, had famously won the US Open in 1999.