Bryson DeChambeau powered his way to victory on Sunday, firing up the first sizable gallery of the pandemic era by launching tee shots into orbit. Then he went and found them. And he made enough putts to hold off 47-year-old Lee Westwood at the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his eighth PGA Tour victory.
Palmer, the seven-time major champion who made Bay Hill his home since he fell in love with the place in the 1960s, was known to go for broke a time or two. He loved the power game and scoffed at those who thought he should rein it in. He was the first to admit a few tournaments got away because his boldness got the best of him. But he never apologized.
“It’s great to watch,” said Westwood, who will turn 48 next month and is 20 years older than DeChambeau. “I like it. You can see the shape of him. He’s worked hard in the gym, and he’s worked on his technique to hit it a long way. It’s not easy to hit it that straight as he hits it as far as he hits it. So people are going to have advantages — and his is obviously length. He can overpower a golf course. It’s fun to watch.’
Westwood, who has 24 European Tour victories and more than 40 professional wins, could not grab enough birdies to pass DeChambeau.
He closed it out with a nervy 5-foot par putt for a 1-under 71 and a one-shot victory over the 47-year-old Westwood. It matched the low score of the day, one of only three rounds under par in the toughest final round at Bay Hill in 41 years.