CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA | Bryson DeChambeau has never been afraid to challenge convention, whether in how he plays golf, the equipment he uses or the way he presents his sizable personality to the world at large.
Beyond being the reigning U.S. Open champion, DeChambeau is an evangelist of sorts, a barrier-breaking believer in what the game can do and he has more than 5 million social media followers to validate his unconventional path.
It’s that part of DeChambeau that brought a standing-room-only crowd to a south Charlotte breakfast Tuesday morning to hear what he had to say at an appearance that came with a simple condition.
DeChambeau, who reportedly waived his standard speaking fee, asked that 50 participants in the First Tee of Greater Charlotte program be allowed to attend and, when it came time for questions, it was theirs he would answer.
Nearly 100 First Tee participants applied for the breakfast invitations, doing volunteer service hours, getting letters of recommendation and writing essays about which of the First Tee’s nine core values they use most.
From there, it was Bryson being Bryson.
“My message this morning to the kids, it was a great breakfast, it was just getting one percent better each and every day and being passionate about what you do. Make sure you’re incredibly passionate about whatever it is,” DeChambeau said.
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