Scenes from Bryson DeChambeau's episode of “Break 50” with Donald Trump.
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As of this typing, Bryson DeChambeau's round of golf with former President Donald Trump is the top trending video on YouTube. The 56-minute preview, which went live Tuesday morning, has been viewed 5,908,528 times, brought DeChambeau's YouTube channel hundreds of thousands of new subscribers (pushing his gross to 1.13 million) and generated nearly 30,000 comments. To put that audience size in perspective, NBC and Peacock's broadcast of the final round of the Open Championship on Sunday drew a combined 3.39 million viewers. Put another way, DeChambeau and Trump's hit-and-giggle show drew 73 percent more viewers than the deciding round of the year's final men's championship, a viewership gap that will widen in the coming days and weeks.
DeChambeau usually draws eyeballs. Take the made-for-YouTube nine-hole match he played against Phil Mickelson. That video has attracted more than 3 million views, but it was also published 11 months ago. Trump's video, titled “Can I Break 50 With President Donald Trump?”, surpassed that number in less than 24 hours; is unlikely to reach the heights of “Baby Shark Dance” (Pinkfong's version of the popular children's song is the most viewed YouTube video of all time, and about 15 a billion ideas), but wherever it comes out, DeChambeau and Trump's outing has already been high-profile.
There are many reasons for the success of video. The most obvious is DeChambeau's high-wattage and polarizing guest. DeChambeau said that when he and his team were thinking about this episode, they reached out to both Trump and President Biden, who at the time were locked in a tough battle for the White House. DeChambeau's focus on the police: join him in an episode of his “Break 50” series where he meets his partners (previous guests in the series have included Sergio Garcia and golf promoters Paige Spiranac and Grant Horvatt) and tries to break 50 in a scramble format from the top guys.
If you follow DeChambeau on X, you may have heard that Trump's video is running. On the night of the June 27 presidential debate — shortly after Trump and Biden's golf skills showed up in a testy debate between the candidates — DeChambeau tweeted, “Let's settle this whole handicap debate, I'll host a golf game on my YouTube @ realDonaldTrump @JoeBiden.” Twelve days later, on July 8, DeChambeau tweeted, “Next video dropping soon, gonna be my biggest one yet.”
On Monday of this week, DeChambeau informed his social media followers that his next “Break 50” guest will be Trump, while also promising to donate $10,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project for every stroke they shoot under the category. Later that day, DeChambeau said to X that only Trump had accepted his invitation. He added, “This is about golf and giving back to our nation's veterans, not politics.”
That may be true, but DeChambeau has a long relationship with the Trumps. Earlier in his career, DeChambeau had a Trump Organization logo on his wallet, and he once commented in an interview on Trump's website that “the whole team is behind me 100%, and I'm grateful for their support.” In 2020, after DeChambeau won the US Open at Winged Foot, Eric Trump, one of the president's sons, performed for DeChambeau at Trump's club in Briarcliff Manor, NY.
Trump and DeChambeau are comfortable with each other, which is why Trump agreed to play this round. This setting would also have appealed to Trump: his club in northern New Jersey – Trump Bedminster – in horse country west of New York City. Getting four hours on the show for a former president campaigning for a second term is not a small thing to ask. But if you can hold an event on his home turf and, in Trump's case, on one of his home courses, which he's always eager to promote, the barrier to entry is much lower. With the election less than four months away, Trump may also have liked the idea of getting in front of a bloc of new voters.
Whatever the motive, Trump said yes, and sometime in early July, he and DeChambeau met in Bedminster to shoot a video.
Trump is a professional schmoozer. (This is not being mean. Neither is Biden; it's how most politicians are wired.) He's a master at working a room and pointing and holding a moment. Trump can work golf, too. At LIV events in his courses, he will run the distance with happy players. He came from the ranks of the Big Apple selling real estate to celebrities, so they're not surprising. The same is true of world-class golfers. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Ernie Els, Lexi Thompson — Trump played with them all, and the smart money says he wasn't comfortable on the night of any of those rounds.
Trump didn't look nervous in his “Break 50” episode as he warmed up on the Bedminster course next to the reigning US Open champion. After hitting a few balls, Trump walked over to DeChambeau and said to a small crowd of onlookers: “Come on, let's see him tear it up.” Longest batsman – by away. I know them all.”
After DeChambeau blew the drive, Trump got a camera, leaned into the lens and said, “Too far, folks, too long.” He put his words to work.
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Trump knows how to engage an audience. So, too, is DeChambeau, whose YouTube success has helped fuel it. Sure, his full-court drives help generate views, but DeChambeau's approachable persona is also key. He speaks to his audience as if they are facing challenges with him, using “we” more than “I” – as in we could really use an eagle here. When putts burn edges, he will raise his arms in disbelief as if he has been blown away. In Trump's “Break 50” round, Trump holed an 18th birdie putt so he and DeChambeau—warn! – 22 down, DeChambeau fell to the floor and said, “Oh…my…gosh.” Are feelings real? Decorated? Somewhere in between? Does it matter? It's all part of the show. On YouTube, big people are selling.
Smart formats do, too. And “Break 50” has just that. With push-up tees, DeChambeau turns every par-5 into a short par-4, most par-4s into 3s and most par-3s into flip wedges. On the par-5s and 4s, birdies are almost impossible and eagles are attainable. But even with the shortened setup and contributions from his teammates, shooting 49 or better has always been difficult for DeChambeau — but not so easy that it feels out of reach. It is the perfect goal, which keeps the viewers informed.
In the Trump-Biden debate, the golf argument produces a very relatable moment
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There is at least one big reason why the Trump episode is so interesting: It shines a bright light on Trump's game, which has been a source of debate long before June 27. Close fans of the game know that Trump is a good golfer, but there has long been speculation about just How and ability.
When Trump and Biden sparred on the podium last month, Trump said that he had just “won two club championships — even seniors — two regular club championships.” Trump and DeChambeau's round, which features a photo of Trump on each of the 18 holes, allows viewers to make up their own minds about the former president's golfing talent. Here are a few undeniable takeaways: You hit a reliable fade; at 78, he still has an impressive pop; his short bells, which he struck with an exaggerated step here Gary Player, look at the sound. And his putting stroke? Unusual would be a generous descriptor. But all in all, you can still play.
Some critics have questioned whether some of Trump's photos were edited without a final decision and put in a second or third attempt. Anything can happen. But it should also be noted that Trump's round, as shown, was not all fairways and greens; it included fattened wedges and blocked drives.
DeChambeau and Trump shared a carriage, which gave them time for small talk. DeChambeau shared tales of his past runs when he broke 50 and his appreciation of colonial history; Trump has expressed his love for Frank Sinatra, Patrick Reed and maple trees. On the walk from the 11th green to the 12th, DeChambeau asked Trump why he likes golf. “I hit it straight, I hit the green and I put it right,” Trump said. “And you know what it does: It removes everything from your brain.”
DeChambeau and Trump made an eagle on the 12th, par-4, and in the closing six holes they made one eagle and five birdies to shoot an even 50, one painfully short shot. DeChambeau's next run on his white whale? He is already thinking about who can help him get it out. On Wednesday, she tweeted, “Who should I be in the next episode?”
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