Bryson DeChambeau turns 32 today, and if you’ve followed his career even a little, you know this is no ordinary birthday for an extraordinary golfer. Famously nicknamed ‘The Scientist’ for his unorthodox and analytical approach to the game, DeChambeau has never been afraid to challenge golf’s traditions. His ways have often raised eyebrows, but he has always made it clear that he is here to do things his way, and he’s made golf all the more exciting for it.

Once ranked World No. 4 (2021), he’s now a two-time major champion, LIV Golf star, and one of the most polarizing yet fascinating figures in modern golf. So, as Bryson DeChambeau blows out his candles (probably in his own way), let’s dive into his top three career moments — the ones that left us in awe, had us gasping in disbelief, and, at times, scratching our heads in amazement, wondering, “Did he really just do that?”

1. Redemption and Greatness: 2024 U.S. Open Win

No one would have written a script the way Bryson DeChambeau did during the drama that unfolded at Pinehurst No. 2 during the 2024 U.S. Open. After moving to LIV Golf in 2022, DeChambeau was sidelined from PGA Tour events, questioned by critics, and written off by many as a cautionary tale. But at the U.S. Open last year, he authored the most emphatic rebuttal imaginable.

Heading into the final round with a three-shot lead, Bryson DeChambeau looked poised. But Rory McIlroy, chasing his elusive fifth major, surged into the lead with five holes to play, and it seemed the Northern Irishman would finally break a decade-long drought. But then, heartbreak for McIlroy and victory for DeChambeau. McIlroy bogeyed three of his last four holes, including short par putts at 16 and 18, leaving the door barely ajar for DeChambeau.

After finding trouble off the tee and his approach on the 18th, he pulled off what he called “the shot of my life” — a miraculous 50-yard escape from a greenside bunker to within four feet. He rolled in the putt for par and his second U.S. Open title, this time as a more mature, balanced, yet still explosive player. “That was huge, to get up and down and win this prestigious championship – that will be the highlight of my life,” added DeChambeau, who won $4.3m, which was $2m more than for his victory in 2020.

2. The 370-Yard Driver Shot That Defied Logic

Before DeChambeau earned his two-time major champion title, he was simply known as the guy who brought muscle and mayhem to the game. And that he did, at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he launched massive drives on a Par 5 at Bay Hill.

On the first two days of the event, DeChambeau attempted the unthinkable — taking on the massive lake guarding the 6th hole at Bay Hill in hopes of reaching the green in two. He failed both times, watching his ball splash down short of safety. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about him, it’s that failure only fuels him. Undeterred, DeChambeau waited for the right conditions and the right moment to try again.

By Saturday, with the wind finally cooperating and adrenaline pumping, he stepped up to the tee and let it rip. What followed was pure spectacle. With a 194 mph ball speed, his drive soared 370 yards through the air, clearing the water with ease and landing in the rough, not perfect, but close enough to send the crowd into a frenzy. Bryson DeChambeau threw his arms in the air mid-swing, celebrating before the ball even touched down. It wasn’t just a golf shot; it was a moment that screamed bold, brash, and unmistakably Bryson.

“Oh man, I felt like a kid again,” he said afterward. “It was exciting. Especially when you pull it off and you know… it was almost like winning a tournament.” And so he did. He pulled off a similar feat on the final round, only better with 377 yards, and walked away with a one-shot victory over Lee Westwood. Fans came for golf, but what they got was a jaw-dropping display of pure muscle from DeChambeau, and it almost felt like a scene straight out of Happy Gilmore.

3. The Mind-Blowing 58

In 2023, until August, DeChambeau’s LIV Golf season had been solid, but not yet spectacular. Sure, he racked up three top-10 finishes with some incredible scores, but the highlight of the season wasn’t until he landed in West Virginia. On a soggy Sunday at the Old White course at Greenbrier, Bryson DeChambeau didn’t just earn his first title of the season — he made history. He fired a mind-blowing 12-under-par 58, and he became only the fourth player in professional golf to post such a score. Even more impressively? He did it with a bogey on the card. That’s classic DeChambeau.

He opened with six birdies in his first seven holes, and then kept the fire running even on the back nine. He closed with four straight birdies, including a 35-foot putt on the 18th. As the putt dropped, he leaped in the air, arms raised in triumph — finally capturing his first LIV Golf title. “Oh my God. Do you believe that?” DeChambeau said after his big putt dropped.

He finished at 23-under for a 6-shot victory over Mito Pereira, earning the $4 million payoff for the individual competition. “Probably the greatest moment in my golf career,” he said, beaming. And impressively, DeChambeau took only 119 shots over the weekend at the 54-hole LIV Golf event. If that isn’t a moment to remember, then we don’t know what is. 

Bryson DeChambeau’s journey has never followed a conventional script. He’s added bulk, lost it, changed his swing, changed tours, and changed how people view the game of golf. Love him or not, he’s one of golf’s great disruptors and an athlete who turned conventional golf into something people would have probably never imagined. At 32, he’s no longer just a novelty; he’s a proven champion, capable of brilliance when the stakes are highest. So here’s wishing the mad scientist, Happy Birthday!