“Mashed potatoes” entered golf’s vocabulary fifteen years ago as a post-shot heckle. Bryson DeChambeau just confirmed it never left.

The two-time major champion released “1 Pro Golfer vs 5 Kids (No Mercy)” on January 29, 2026, pitting himself against five elite Drive, Chip & Putt competitors at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch East. The video surpassed 590,000 views within days of going live on his YouTube channel. But buried in the middle of the nine-hole scramble—somewhere between swing tips and friendly trash talk—a junior golfer asked the question fans never get to pose directly: what do pros actually hear out there?

“How many times around do people say weird stuff to you? Like mashed potatoes,” one of the DCP competitors asked mid-round.

DeChambeau didn’t hesitate. “Oh my gosh. It’s all the time. I’ve signed a banana peel before. Isn’t that crazy?”

The kids erupted. “You signed a banana peel?”

“Oh yeah.”

Laughter filled the cart path, and DeChambeau moved on to his next shot. The moment lasted thirty seconds and revealed something tournament broadcasts rarely capture: the sheer absurdity that professional golfers have learned to accept as normal.

The “mashed potatoes” phenomenon traces back to the 2011 Chevron World Challenge when a fan named Andrew Widmar shouted the phrase after Tiger Woods launched a stinger off the tee. His reasoning was delightfully mundane—his mother wanted to know how she’d spot him on television, and he told her to listen for the nonsense phrase. The clip went viral. Golf galleries have been yelling variations ever since, adding “Baba Booey,” “light the candle,” and dozens of other meaningless catchphrases to the post-shot soundtrack.

DeChambeau treats all of it as routine. The banana peel? Just another Tuesday.

This kind of unfiltered exchange is precisely what traditional media rarely delivers—and exactly what athlete-driven YouTube content has made possible.

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Bryson DeChambeau’s Drive, Chip & Putt video shows why YouTube golf resonates

DeChambeau’s channel now boasts 2.55 million subscribers and over 500 million total views, transforming him from a polarizing figure to an accessible personality. His content strategy leans into raw, unscripted moments rather than polished media appearances.

Kevin Na, his LIV Golf teammate, captured this evolution perfectly: “I always joke to him and say I was nice to you before you became a big star and before you were likable! I have always liked him from day one.”

The Drive, Chip & Putt format amplified that likeability. These aren’t random fans lobbing questions from behind the ropes—they’re nationally ranked junior competitors chasing berths at Augusta National’s annual DCP finals. The program focuses on golf’s three fundamental skills: driving, chipping, and putting. It also provides a platform for the kind of candid pro-junior exchanges that formal media settings rarely allow.

A kid asked about weird fan behavior. A two-time U.S. Open champion answered honestly. The internet watched.

Golf galleries have drifted far from the respectful silence that once defined the sport. DeChambeau’s matter-of-fact delivery suggests pros stopped being surprised long ago. They sign the banana peels. They hear the mashed potatoes. They keep playing.