Tommy’s Take: The Art of the Bounce Back
Welcome back to Tommy’s Take. Last week, we were talking about the theatre of Sawgrass—the heartbreak, the drama, and the coronation of a first-time Players champion in Cameron Young. But what makes golf the greatest sport in the world is that there’s no time to dwell. The clock doesn’t stop. You either wallow in the disappointment, or you go out the next week and prove what you’re made of. This week, we saw a masterclass in the latter, while the rest of the golf world served up a reminder that form is temporary, but class—and occasionally, pure chaos—is permanent.
Fitzpatrick’s Redemption
Let’s start in Florida at the Valspar Championship, where Matt Fitzpatrick did exactly what you’d expect from a former U.S. Open champion. Just seven days after suffering the sting of a loss on the final hole at The Players—watching Cameron Young hole that putt while he stood on the 18th green—Fitzpatrick packed his bags, drove a few hours up the coast to Innisbrook, and won.
This wasn’t just a victory; it was a statement about resilience. The Snake Pit at Copperhead is no joke, and Fitzpatrick navigated it with the grit of a man who refused to let last week define his season. He shot a final-round 68 to hold off a chasing pack that included Xander Schauffele. It’s the kind of bounce-back win that separates the good players from the elite ones. It sends a message that he’ll be in the mix as we head into the business end of the season.
The Mad Scientist Does the Double
While Fitzpatrick was getting it done in Florida, Bryson DeChambeau was busy making history on the other side of the world. We mentioned his Houdini act in Singapore last week—winning a playoff after his opponent missed a two-footer. Well, the Mad Scientist decided to follow it up with something a little less chaotic and a lot more dominant.
Bryson went back-to-back, taking the LIV Golf event in South Africa with a performance that was vintage Bryson. He overpowered the course, putted with confidence, and looked every bit the golfer who won the U.S. Open in 2024. Winning is hard. Winning back-to-back weeks on different continents, in different conditions, is the sign of a player who has found his rhythm. With the Masters just around the corner, a confident Bryson hitting bombs and rolling in putts is a terrifying proposition for the rest of the field.
An American in Hainan
Over on the DP World Tour at the Hainan Classic. Jordan Gumberg picked up his second win on the European circuit. The American came through a tight finish to get it done in China, and fair play to him. These are the kinds of weeks that change a player’s career; one minute you’re grinding away, the next you’ve got a trophy in your hands and a whole new set of doors opening. Nice to see a lesser-known name grab the spotlight.
Final Thoughts
So, where does that leave us? We’ve got Matt Fitzpatrick proving that heartbreak is just fuel for the fire. We’ve got Bryson DeChambeau stacking wins like poker chips. And we’ve got a second time winner on the other side of the world proving that perseverance pays off.
The narrative coming out of ‘The Players championship’ was all about Cameron Young’s breakthrough. But the narrative a week later is about everyone else refusing to fade into the background. Fitzpatrick could have wallowed. Instead, he went out and won. That’s the mentality you want to see.
Bring on the Masters.