What drives a son to return to the place where his father first taught him the game? We do not have an answer to this, but what we do know is that golf creates bonds between fathers and sons unlike any other sport. Tiger Woods leaned on Earl’s teachings to become a legend. Jon Rahm credits his father for shaping his competitive fire. For Bryson DeChambeau, the sacred ground where it all started is Belmont Country Club in Fresno, California.

This October, he returned there for the first time in 14 years to play a full 18 holes. The catch was: this was his first complete round there without Jon, his late father, who passed away on November 5, 2022, at age 63. Bryson had one mission. Beat his father’s course record of 8-under par from the blue tees.

“Heart is beating a million miles a minute right now,” Bryson admitted during the back nine. “It’s probably the most nervous I’ve been in a long time. Just cuz I care so much.”

The pressure wasn’t about winning money or trophies. It was to make his father proud. Members who watched him grow up lined the fairways. His father’s ghost walked every hole with him. Belmont shaped Bryson’s game from the beginning. The tight fairways demanded precision. The quirky short par-4s sparked his love for creative shot making.

“This is kind of where I fell in love,” he reflected, navigating holes that taught him risk-reward golf.

The back nine tested everything. Bryson birdied the 17th to reach 9-under, officially breaking Jon’s record. But he wanted more. On the 528-yard 18th hole, he positioned himself perfectly for an eagle. Standing over a 23-footer, his father’s words echoed.

“As my dad always said, you never quit,” Bryson whispered. “Doesn’t matter if somebody’s beating you, you’re playing the worst round of your life. You have to give it every single ounce of energy to be the best you absolutely can on this next shot.”

Bryson has drawn on his father’s wisdom throughout 2025, crediting Jon’s never-quit mentality for navigating both triumph and adversity. When putt on the 18th, finally dropped, Bryson had shot 61—eleven under par. He crumbled in tears.

“First time playing 18 holes without my dad out here where he taught me to play,” he said, voice breaking. “I love you, Dad. 61’s for you. Actually hits, man. That was cool.”

Jon was diagnosed with diabetes in his early thirties and then spent decades battling its complications. By 2014, both his kidneys had failed, forcing him into regular dialysis treatments. Those were tough times, as DeChambeau often recalls in some of his interviews. But it never stopped Jon from being there for his son.

The 2x US Open winner’s raw, vulnerable moment didn’t stay private. He shared it with 2.5 million YouTube subscribers in his video “Can I Break My Dad’s Course Record? (Emotional)” posted October 29. In the emotional video, he also showed fans a clock he dedicated to his father in 2023. These emotional decisions separate Bryson from every other professional golfer.

How Bryson DeChambeau Built Golf’s Most Authentic YouTube Channel

We all know traditional golf coverage polishes emotions into highlight packages. Bryson does the opposite. He films everything. The nerves. The failures. The tears. No script. No distance between him and his audience. The strategy works. Numbers are proof.

Since launching his content approach roughly four years ago, Bryson has accumulated 478.5 million views across 237 videos. His collaboration with Donald Trump in July 2024 alone generated over 16 million views. He’s even surpassed the official PGA Tour’s subscriber count—2.5 million to their 1.66 million—despite the Tour posting over 21,000 videos.

Fans don’t just watch Bryson play golf. They watch him live it. When he breaks down over his father’s memory, millions feel that pain with him. This vulnerability creates a connection that polished broadcasts never achieve.

Other professional golfers maintain careful public images. Rory McIlroy’s channel has just 11,000 subscribers. Most tour players rely on traditional media to tell their stories.