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Bomb and gouge: How Bryson can dismantle Augusta National

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Brace for it, Augusta. Bryson is coming.

Since the PGA Tour returned in June - when Bryson DeChambeau unveiled his incredible physical transformation and distance gains - golf fans have been asking one question: What will Bryson and his power do to the historic Augusta National?

We've seen Augusta succumb to distance in the past. In 1997, Tiger Woods averaged 323 yards off the tee en route to his first green jacket. That was over 20 yards further than the field's second-longest player.

And we've witnessed how dominant DeChambeau can be while averaging over 340 yards off the tee. He overpowered Winged Foot Golf Club to claim his first major at the U.S. Open, and the 27-year-old collected another victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July for his first win while weighing nearly 240 pounds.

Now after proving himself following his physical change, DeChambeau enters the Masters as the betting favorite with sky-high expectations and a simple but successful strategy: Hit it as far as he possibly can.

DeChambeau hinted that he may use a 48-inch driver at Augusta - the longest allowable driver length - which will increase his Tour-leading distance and lead to a greater advantage off the tee. DeChambeau averaged 1.04 strokes gained off the tee per round during the 2019-20 season. That average has increased to nearly 1.3 strokes per round so far in the 2020-21 campaign, with DeChambeau consistently launching drives well over 350 yards.

But will his length off the tee translate to success at Augusta National? Jordan Spieth, who knows a thing or two about winning a green jacket, recently set the bar extremely high for what he expects out of DeChambeau.

"(Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and me) were sitting having lunch and watching the telecast and they were showing Bryson," Jordan Spieth told Golf.com. "I was like, 'This guy has to lose the Masters to not win the Masters.'”

In other words: It's Bryson's tournament to lose because of his distance advantage, which will be the biggest factor in these seven key holes.

No. 1 - Tea Olive

Par 4, 445 yards

Augusta National / Masters Historic Imagery / Getty

The first hole at Augusta is one of the course's toughest due to its difficult tee shot. A right-side fairway bunker that requires 320 yards to carry narrows the landing area to roughly 20 yards wide. Approach shots usually range from 130 to 160 yards depending on if a player hits his driver, or lays back with a 3-wood to take the bunker out of play.

But DeChambeau was left with just 65 yards on his second shot during a recent practice round, according to Golf Digest's Joel Beall.

Jack Nicklaus thinks DeChambeau could hit it even further.

"He could drive the first green," Nicklaus said, according to Golf.com's Michael Bamberger. "If it’s firm, he could drive the first green. Under the right conditions."

While there's some hyperbole in what the Golden Bear is saying, DeChambeau could face a short pitch and a putt for birdie multiple times during the week, and the rest of the field will be happily walking off No. 1 with a par.

No. 3 - Flowering Peach

Par 4, 350 yards

While driving the first green may be a stretch for DeChambeau, it's definitely doable two holes later. At only 350 yards, Bryson will likely attempt to drive the third green all four days. Even if he can't find the putting surface for a look at eagle, DeChambeau should give himself a great chance to play No. 3 at 4-under for the week.

No. 5 - Magnolia

Par 4, 495 yards

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The fifth at Augusta was lengthened 40 yards for the 2019 tournament, and it played as the most difficult hole during Tiger's victory as a result. DeChambeau used a fairway wood for his second shot during Round 2 last year. But don't expect that again in 2020.

This hole is hard because of the two left-side fairway bunkers that require 320 yards to carry. But the bunkers aren't much of a worry with DeChambeau's length, depending on the wind. He can easily fly a drive 330 yards, which would leave him with a short iron in hand for his approach shot instead of a fairway wood - a stark difference from 2019.

No. 10 - Camellia

Par 4, 495 yards

Kohjiro Kinno / Sports Illustrated / Getty

DeChambeau can let it fly at No. 10, and he might not need his driver. If he chooses to hit the big stick, he'll unnecessarily bring the right trees into play (think Bubba Watson in the 2012 Masters playoff).

Instead, Bryson could increase his odds of finding the fairway by hitting a sweeping draw with his 3-wood that would catch the downslope and end up somewhere close to 340 yards off the tee. That would leave roughly 160 yards into the green (which requires only a pitching wedge for DeChambeau) for his approach shot on a hole that was the second-most difficult in 2019. Talk about a stress-free par.

No. 13 - Azalea

Par 5, 510 yards

David Cannon / David Cannon Collection / Getty

This is where DeChambeau really gets to enjoy himself while making a mockery of Augusta.

"I will say that I'm going to try and hit it into 14 fairway if I can, if it's the right wind," DeChambeau said about his strategy on the scorable par 5.

Talk of sending the ball into the adjacent fairway on No. 14 suggests the California native is looking to absolutely launch his drive. If he hits a big draw on the dogleg-left par 5, his landing area grows to roughly 60 yards wide, and only around 130 yards will be remaining for DeChambeau's second shot.

With a wedge in hand for the approach, DeChambeau should be putting for eagle each day, but he'll need to make a couple to gain strokes on the field.

No. 15 - Firethorn

Par 5, 530 yards

Augusta National / Masters Historic Imagery / Getty

The days of players hitting long irons into the tricky green at the par-5 15th are over, but DeChambeau could change the game if he gets his drive to land on the downslope of the fairway.

He'll need a firm fairway and a little help from the wind, but there's a real possibility that Bryson nears 400 yards off the tee and only faces, at most, a pitching wedge into the final par 5 at Augusta.

No. 18 - Holly

Par 4, 465 yards

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In the same practice round referenced early, DeChambeau reportedly hit it past the trees lining the right side of the fairway on No. 18, and only 100 yards were left. But more importantly, he displayed his ability to take the dangerous left-side fairway bunkers completely out of play.

If he can eliminate all the trouble that looms on the daunting final hole at Augusta, DeChambeau's stroll down No. 18 late on Sunday could be very enjoyable.

But before we go too far and start sizing Bryson up for a very large green jacket prior to the tournament, remember that the bomber will need to putt as well as he did at Winged Foot, which might be harder than it sounds for a very specific reason.

Unlike other PGA Tour venues, green-reading books aren't permitted at Augusta, and DeChambeau relies heavily on those. And so far in his career, he hasn't found much success with the flatstick at Augusta.

Even if he struggles putting and DeChambeau doesn't go on to win back-to-back majors, buckle up for a show, because Bryson's performance at Augusta could send shockwaves throughout the golf world, leading to major change in the sport.

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