Scottie Scheffler’s dominant CJ Cup Byron Nelson win was one for the books. He decimated the field with a record-tying final score of 253 strokes at 31-under at TPC Craig Ranch, marking his first win of the year. However, as reel-worthy as his impressive win was, it was arguably not the best one we saw this weekend out of the expectations, especially because last year, he had already won four events entering May. On the other side of the globe in South Korea, where LIV Golf hosted its very first event, was Scottie’s opponent that he broke over in the Masters last month. Yep, we’re talking about Bryson DeChambeau.

Entering the LIV Golf South Korea event, DeChambeau was looking for a win after brushing off the top spot in previous outings. In fact, he had not won since the US Open last year. In April, he entered the final round of LIV Golf Miami with a two-stroke lead. In the Masters, he grabbed a solo lead with 16 holes to play. Then two weeks later, he went into the final round at LIV Golf Mexico City with a one-shot cushion. But as fate would have it, he failed in all three events. However, at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, he shot 19-under in three rounds, grazing over Crushers GC teammate Charles Howell III by two strokes. He too picked up his first win of the year, and third overall for LIV, showing that he is not in a slump.

Now the two may have ended their Masters run at fourth and fifth respectively as Rory McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam, there’s no doubt that he is not the only golfer riding high into the second men’s major of the year. The US PGA Championship is going to be a heated battle as Bryson rightly put, “We’re going to be battling it out.” But with a goal of, “I’ve been playing great golf. I just haven’t gotten the job done,” his one target to beat in the fast-approaching PGA Championship is the golfer standing at the top post– Scottie Scheffler.

Present at the post-round press conference for the LIV Golf Korea event after his win, a reporter asked the golfer, “Right now this is probably a victory right before a major event that you’ll have in PGA. Right now Scottie Scheffler is about to win THE CJ CUP. Considering that, a lot of fans are rooting for you right now, Bryson. Do you have any specific goals for the PGA TOUR or any goals for any major events?”

Talking about his goals this season, DeChambeau said, “My goal is to win every tournament that I show up to. Scottie is on a great run. Joaquin Niemann is on a great run. Jon Rahm has been playing well. There’s a lot of star-studded talent out there right now that’s going to be in the PGA Championship. We’re going to be battling it out.

“Glad to have pushed through in this victory and won this event, but there’s a lot more work to be done this year. There’s three more majors, and my eyes are focused on that with all the other LIV events, doing my absolute best in every single event I show up to.”

The LIV golfer was asked this question before Scottie could secure the win but was looking clear for the top spot. Still, Bryson’s observations about Scheffler are not entirely off the mark. At that point, Scheffler who hadn’t secured a win this season, led at TPC Craig Ranch with a score of 23-under. Although he has never competed in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, which will host the second major for the second time since 2017, he has performed well in his previous appearances. For instance, he finished T8 in 2024 and T2 the year before.

On the other hand, Bryson DeChambeau’s performance at the PGA Championship is somewhat of a mixed bag, even though he has played in the major event at Quail Hollow. In 2017, he missed the cut. However, the two-time U.S. Open winner has one runner-up finish at the PGA Championship (2024) and a total of three top-10 finishes. Essentially, he presents just as much of a threat to Scheffler as the PGA Tour golfer does to him!

He has taken part in four PGA Tour events at Quail Hollow between 2016 and 2021. The two-time major champion missed the cut in his first two outings but made notable progress, finishing fourth in 2018 and tying for ninth in 2021. However, the LIV golfer is hopeful. And perhaps it’s because of that he may be a threat at Quail Hollow this year.

Bryson DeChambeau’s driving accuracy will be a great threat at Quail Hollow

Bryson DeChambeau’s history with Quail Hollow may be a mixed bag, but a certain improvement in his gameplay this year could give us a beautiful performance at the PGA Championship. According to Pat Perez, it’s his driver skills. “That driver is such a weapon. Where he is hitting that driver is just incredible,” said Perez during the LIV Golf Korea event.

DeChambeau showed his talent at The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, averaging 342 yards off the tee on the second day. This impressive performance confirmed that he is the best driver in the LIV rankings this season, with an average distance of 332 yards. Additionally, he ranks in the top 10 for hitting fairways, achieving 62.7% accuracy, which demonstrates that he can hit the ball both far and straight.

Furthermore, he has done well in driving distance in recent times. For instance, in 2024, he averaged 323.5 yards, which put him in first place; however, his driving accuracy dropped to 54.11%, ranking him 36th. In 2023, he averaged 316.8 yards, finishing third, while his driving accuracy was 55.99%, placing him 37th. Overall, this season, his combination of top distance and improved accuracy has been crucial to his success, highlighting his growth as a player. Do you think he has a chance to outdo Scottie?