The storyline heading into the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational was bomber Bryson DeChambeau’s driver — and whether he’d use it to reach the green on the par-5 sixth hole.
But what set DeChambeau apart most of the week was his impressive work on the shortest holes at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
The 2020 U.S. Open champ led the field in scoring on the par-3s and finished Sunday’s final round with a 71, capturing his eighth PGA Tour title by topping Lee Westwood, Corey Conners, Jordan Spieth and others.
DeChambeau finished the event at 11 under, a stroke ahead of Westwood and three up on Conners. Spieth, Andrew Putnam and Richy Weresnki all tied for fourth at 6 under.
Of course, DeChambeau still drew attention with his booming drives — in fact, he took two deep breaths and drilled a 377-yard drive on No. 6 on Sunday. His ball cleared the water at the double-dogleg easily and bounced through the fairway into a fairway bunker. He birdied the hole.
Meanwhile, Westwood, who turns 48 next month, came into the final round as the oldest player to hold the 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour since Phil Mickelson at the American Express in 2019. But he struggled to a 37 on the front nine and watched DeChambeau, who had two top-fives in four prior starts at Bay Hill, pass him.
