While most pros fine-tune their clubs ahead of a major, Bryson DeChambeau is busy building an AI coach he believes will revolutionize the sport. Now, he’s in a race against time to get it ready for the U.S. Open.

“You literally set it up on a face-on camera system, start hitting balls, and you can talk through the whole session,” DeChambeau said. “So by the US Open, we’ll have the ability to have a conversation with SAMI with full analysis while hitting balls,” he added, “and that’ll be huge.”

The idea behind SAMI is straightforward: any golfer places a phone on a stand, records their swing, and talks to the AI in real-time while still in the range. The Sportsbox AI Motion Intelligence will then respond with feedback based on what it sees. It operates on Google Cloud’s Gemini models, allowing it to create a 3D model of your swing, measure your swing speed, and integrate that information with biomechanics data.

The system already identifies and highlights areas for improvement by analyzing your motion in real time. The new version that Bryson is discussing will enhance this functionality even further. However, DeChambeau has been clear that SAMI is not meant to replace coaches.

“This is something that adds to their toolbox,” he said. “The camera and the phone are only going to tell you so much. They can’t make you feel what you’re doing.”

The backstory behind SAMI starts in 2020. Former LPGA Tour player Jeehae Lee and software engineer Samuel Menaker, who founded the tech at a Bellevue, Washington, AI incubator, actually built the venture. Lee had previously led strategy at TopGolf’s Toptracer division, and Samuel brought deep AI experience from tech companies. Bryson DeChambeau came into the picture before the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.

In the days leading up to the tournament, he used Sportsbox AI on his phone, spotted a slight miss to the right in his shots, and the app actually corrected it before the first round. Further on, he won that week and named the app publicly at the winner’s press conference.

Bryson DeChambeau and his company, ANU Golf, invested in the technology shortly after, and on April 7, 2026, his group acquired the company outright in an eight-figure deal right after the Masters. Co-founders Lee and Menaker stayed on to run it along with 30 employees. The platform already has over 15,000 users and is trusted by multiple Golf Digest Top 50 instructors, including names like Sean Foley and David Leadbetter.

ANU Golf has secured significant retail partnerships in anticipation of the upcoming launch, suggesting it is nearing commercial release rather than merely an updated prototype. Since the tournament is where his journey began, he aims to have SAMI ready before he returns to that same stage this year.

Bryson DeChambeau eyes third U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills

The 2026 U.S. Open runs from June 18-21 at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. DeChambeau is fully exempt as a two-time champion, having won the title in 2020 and 2024.

DeChambeau closed the Sportsbox AI acquisition on April 7th, two days before teeing off at Augusta National. He entered the Masters as one of the three tournament favorites and yet missed the cut, carding rounds of 76 and 74.

He said, “After round one, I need to improve my iron play.”

Iron and wedge consistency has been a recurring gap in his game, and Shinnecock Hills will test it in a way that Augusta did.

What complicates the picture further is that DeChambeau is not just a golfer preparing for a major. He is also running a growing AI startup, negotiating a LIV contract that expires at the end of 2026, and building his own clubs after parting ways with LA Golf in February.

His answer to that tension, at least partly, is Sammy itself. DeChambeau told Bloomberg ahead of the Masters that he had been using sports tech in his own preparation and planned to keep doing so through the tournament. The tool he is building for everyday golfers is also the tool he is using on the range.

June’s U.S. Open will therefore serve as a dual test: one for DeChambeau’s major championship mettle, and another for the AI tool he’s banking on to revolutionize the game.