At just 20 years old, the golfing world has a new name to learn — and he learned our language on his own, one YouTube video at a time. This young Open Championship sensation has quickly become the talk of the links, not only for his fearless play but for the refreshing honesty with which he embraces the game’s biggest challenges. And now, with the world watching, he’s calling out none other than Bryson DeChambeau.
Golf’s oldest major has always had room for upstarts. From the teenage Tiger Woods making his major debut to Rory McIlroy’s early fireworks at St Andrews, the Open Championship has a special way of anointing new stars on the wind-swept fairways of Britain’s coastal gems. But few stories resonate quite like this young contender’s.
Born far from golf’s traditional powerhouses, the 20-year-old’s journey to the Open is as unconventional as his wish list of opponents. While most of his generation grew up with academy coaches, English tutors, and sports psychologists, he grew up glued to a screen — not to scroll endlessly but to learn. He picked up English by watching YouTube tutorials, post-round interviews, and even swing breakdowns in English. His goal? To understand the game’s best, on and off the course, and eventually compete with them on equal footing.
So far, he’s ahead of schedule. His opening rounds at the Open this week have made jaws drop. He’s shown the poise of a seasoned veteran, the creativity of Seve, and the nerves of steel you’d expect from someone who taught himself to communicate with the very stars he idolizes.
But if there’s one star he wants to test himself against, it’s Bryson DeChambeau. For the young player, Bryson isn’t just a rival — he’s a symbol of modern golf’s power revolution. The 20-year-old has spoken openly about how DeChambeau’s blend of brute strength and brainy strategy fascinated him as a teen. He’s studied Bryson’s muscle-building videos, dissected his course-management interviews, and even practiced English phrases by mimicking Bryson’s famously technical explanations.
Now, he wants to stand across the tee box from him — driver in hand, wind howling off the North Sea — and see if his own self-made swing can keep up with the man who once reshaped Augusta with sheer force.
It’s an audacious wish for a player barely old enough to rent a car in some countries. But it speaks to the fearlessness that’s become his trademark this week. He’s not here just for the “good experience.” He wants to win — or at least learn firsthand what it takes to beat the best.
When asked about the challenge of facing someone like Bryson, he grins. “He hits it far,” he says in surprisingly clear, self-taught English. “I want to see if I can hit it far too — but straighter.” There’s a youthful defiance in his tone, a mix of respect and confidence that suggests this won’t be the last time we hear him speak English — or talk about chasing the biggest names.
Already, veteran players and caddies are buzzing about his shot-making. He’s not the longest off the tee yet, but his touch around the greens has bailed him out of the kind of links-land trouble that eats rookies alive. And if his rise continues at this pace, the dream match-up with Bryson might not stay a dream for long.
He’s the new face of the game’s global reach — proof that golf’s next great stars won’t just come from country clubs in Florida or fairways in Scotland. They’ll come from anywhere there’s WiFi and the will to watch, learn, and believe.
This week, the 20-year-old Open sensation has inspired a new wave of young fans. His message is simple: If you can’t find a coach, find a video. If you can’t speak the language, learn it one clip at a time. And if you can’t beat Bryson yet? Make sure you’re ready when the moment comes.
For now, all eyes are on this fearless phenom as the Open heads into its decisive rounds. If the golfing gods allow, maybe the draw gods will too — and we’ll get to see the 20-year-old dreamer and the big-hitting scientist share a fairway sooner rather than later.
One thing’s for certain: the kid who learned English on YouTube is teaching the rest of us something too — in golf, belief and grit still travel further
than any 400-yard drive.
