Golf Insider reveals the one thing holding Bryson DeChambeau back from beating Scottie Scheffler

Bryson DeChambeau delivered a strong performance at the 2025 PGA Championship, but he felt one area of his game held him back: his iron play. While he matched Scottie Scheffler in distance and showcased an elite short game, his approach shots seemingly made the difference, especially under pressure.

A golf insider broke down the issue, pointing to DeChambeau’s ball flight struggles in windy conditions as a key factor.

Scheffler won his third major title at the 2025 PGA Championship, finishing at 11-under 273 at Quail Hollow. He beat DeChambeau by five shots. Speaking after the final round, the LIV Golf star admitted:

“If I just had somewhat of good iron play this week, it would have been a lot different outcome.”

His struggles didn’t go unnoticed. On the Pardon My Take podcast, golf analyst Smylie Kaufman explained (1:34:02 onwards) that Bryson DeChambeau fell short because of the way his iron shots worked under pressure.

“There’s so many weird sayings in golf that bulge-phase technology just kind of fits right in, with Bryson apparently he was talking about this after the round that it's adding extra curvature to shots for him and he really only plays a draw and he hit so high up in the air."

Kaufman pointed out that the main difference between DeChambeau and Scheffler is how they control their ball flight, especially in windy conditions.

"Scottie Scheffler has the ability to always make his golf ball fly straight and they both hit it just as high. You know if you're looking at them both in an 8-iron, they're both in the same apex, but Scottie Scheffler with crosswinds can hold a right to left wind make the golf ball fly straight."

Kaufman added, "Bryson DeChambeau doesn't hit many shots where he controls the trajectory and brings it down. So it's something that he 1000% needs to improve on."

Part of the problem may be Bryson DeChambeau’s irons. He uses Avoda Prototype irons with LA Golf Prototype shafts. These clubs have a curved face, called bulge and roll technology, which is meant to help with mishits. But in windy conditions, it can create extra spin and cause the ball to curve more than intended.

Scheffler, on the other hand, uses TaylorMade P7TW irons with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. His setup is more focused on control and consistency, helping him hit straighter and softer shots into the greens.

Smylie Kaufman also acknowledged Bryson DeChambeau's strengths

Despite his iron play struggles, Bryson DeChambeau’s overall game remains one of the best on tour. Per LIV Golf, he has an average driving distance of 333.3 yards, and also ranks number one in scrambling on the tour. His fairway hit % (65.99), green in regulation % (70.90), and putting average (1.58) are also in the top 10 among LIV Golfers.

Smylie Kaufman praised Bryson DeChambeau’s strengths during his appearance on the podcast, saying:

“Bryson hits it so good off the tee. His short game—putting, chipping, bunkering is at an elite level. That’s why he’ll always be in contention at majors."

In comparison, Scheffler doesn’t hit it as far, averaging 302.6 yards, but his accuracy gives him an edge. He finds 65.29% of fairways, with only 13.88% of shots ending up in the left rough and 9.46% in the right, per the PGA Tour. That precision allows him to control approach shots better and make fewer mistakes.