Bryson DeChambeau had fans glued to their screens as he chased one of his wildest trick-shot ideas yet: the “ShotCup Challenge”. The setup was deceptively simple with a tiny red cup perched on the second floor of his home, and DeChambeau attempting to land a ping-pong ball into it from below. After days of misses and mounting anticipation, his Day 4 post came with a “I did it– Day 4.” caption. The moment felt big for fans to see it through and win the prize connected to it. But then they saw the video. 

Despite the triumphant caption, the two-time major champion never actually completed the shot. The footage showed him trying again and again, at times even clipping the rim, earning just $200 Underdog credits for fans when the ball landed in the bonus zone ($100 for one time). But the ball never sunk in in the cup, thus making that “I did it” claim was pure clickbait, and the misleading tease sparked frustration. 

What made it sting even more was the buildup. DeChambeau had been documenting the challenge since Day 1, starting with 10 attempts, then doubling to 20 on Day 2, 30 on Day 3, and finally 40 on Day 4. Across more than 100 total tries, the cup remained untouched, and the stakes were massive: if he made it, one lucky fan would drive away in a $325,000 yellow Bentley Continental GT, plastered with Underdog branding which he had parked . The dramatic difficulty, the big-money prize, and the playful tone kept viewers hooked all up to the letdown. But longtime followers may even have seen it coming. Afterall, this wasn’t their first taste of DeChambeau’s stunt-driven content. 

The LIV golfer has built a brand around over-the-top challenges, from hitting a hole-in-one over his house (a feat that took him 16 days) to giving fans seven hours to make an ace for $100,000. He’s teamed up with Dude Perfect for trick shots and run viral YouTube series like “Break 50” with big names like Donald Trump and Phil Mickelson. But while fans usually embrace the entertainment, this latest clickbait move feels like too much for many, leaving them sharing their disappointment on social media: 

Fans call out DeChambeau for lying

One fan slammed the stunt: “Just for the clickbait, you should send me 1k @brysondech… I was so pumped, only to get disappointed yet again (Masters) by you.” The reference to the Masters stings—DeChambeau came within reach of his third major just months earlier, entering the final round in contention only to fade with a 3-over 75, finishing tied for fifth.

Another user wasn’t mollified by the tone, writing: “If you mean missed every shot, then yes, you did!” Others echoed the sentiment, bluntly accusing him: “You lied to me.”

Some fans sprang into spoiler mode– perhaps urging others to not get excited or watch the video, lamenting: “Spoiler alert…he did not in fact ‘do it’. Had me watching till the end. Hoping you guys do actually ‘do it’ at the Ryder Cup.”  But that jab couldn’t help but nod to his upcoming Ryder Cup duties, where he returns having been part of victorious U.S. teams in 2018 and 2021. Amid it all, frustration turned comedic for some:

“I just wasted 1 minute and 21 seconds of my life,” griped one viewer. Another dismissed the stunt as simply “Rude.” Still, despite (or maybe because of) the controversy, the clip pulled in a staggering 623.9K views, showing that even disappointed viewers stayed to watch it unfold. One can just hope that Mad Scientist’s next experiment turns out to be better.