Bryson DeChambeau reveals Tiger Woods' 'insane' behaviour that left him taken aback

Tiger Woods had plenty of ways to get inside an opponent's head during his remarkable career, but Bryson DeChambeau has revealed that his intimidating presence extended well beyond the golf course.

The two-time major champion has offered a revealing account of Woods' personality, describing a level of competitiveness that he had never witnessed before.

And while DeChambeau has enormous respect for what Woods achieved, he admitted that some of his behaviour was difficult to appreciate.

Appearing on Raj Shamani's Figuring Out podcast, DeChambeau did not hesitate when asked about the former World No.1's mentality.

"Tiger was the most intense and fierce competitor I've ever met in my entire life," the LIV Golf superstar told Shamani. 

"[He had] an insane ability to just say, ‘I want to beat the living s*** out of you’ because they love it.

"They just want to absolutely beat you. That's what it is. It's a weird thing."

It was not simply a case of Woods wanting to win. 

According to DeChambeau, the American had an extraordinary knack for making those around him feel as though they were completely irrelevant.

The LIV Golf star experienced that first-hand during an encounter in the Bahamas, where a seemingly ordinary conversation provided an insight into Woods' unusual approach to other people.

DeChambeau remembered how they were talking when several people approached Woods. Rather than acknowledging them in a conventional way, the golf legend appeared to look straight through them.

It was a moment that has stayed with DeChambeau ever since.

"I don't like that. That's not the way I approach things, but I never forget him looking at you and then looking right through you like you weren't even there. And I was taken aback.

"I'll never forget, I was in the Bahamas and we were just talking about something and some people came up to him and we were talking just like we are now, very focused and then he'd go over and look at them and just look right through them.

"Like they weren't even there and they would talk to him and he wouldn't even recognize them there. But it would make it known that he didn't even see you."

For DeChambeau, it was an uncomfortable experience, but he also understood that Woods' behaviour was closely connected to the mindset that made him such a dominant force.

He was keen to stress that he was not trying to speak badly of Woods, instead explaining how an almost obsessive desire to win helped separate him from the rest of the field.

"And the reason was because for him, it was always kind of a game," added DeChambeau. 

"I'm not going to speak necessarily ill on him, he was a great golfer and athlete, but to get to that level that he got to of complete and utter dominance, there was a bit of, ‘I'm going to do anything and everything to beat you’.

"So on the golf course, he would go out there with that mentality, like he wouldn't even know you're there.

"And it would intimidate everybody.

"He had such an unbelievable ability to tune people out, tune things out and focus on just winning. There was no other option.

"He was not going to come back with a second place finish and that insane willpower is what made him special and different from everybody else."

Watch DeChambeau's comments here: 

DeChambeau and Woods shared an unsuccessful Ryder Cup partnership

DeChambeau and Woods were no strangers to spending time together on the golf course, having regularly played practice rounds alongside one another during their time competing on the PGA Tour.

The pair also joined forces for the United States at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, although their partnership proved far less successful when the competition got underway.

• Bryson DeChambeau admits he got something badly wrong during rise to golf's elite

Paired together in the foursomes, Woods and DeChambeau suffered a heavy 5&4 defeat to Europe's Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari.

It was a disappointing outing for the American duo, with Fleetwood and Molinari proving far too strong as Europe went on to reclaim the Ryder Cup on home soil.

Nevertheless, their previous practice-round experiences meant DeChambeau had plenty of opportunities to observe Woods at close quarters – giving his recollections of the 15-time major champion's fiercely competitive personality an interesting extra layer.

When will Woods return to competitive golf?

Woods has not won on the PGA Tour since the 2019 Zozo Championship, while his most recent competitive appearance came at the 2024 Open Championship.

The 50-year-old has battled a succession of physical setbacks, making regular appearances increasingly difficult.

However, attention is beginning to turn towards a possible return, with the Hero World Challenge in early December and the PNC Championship alongside his son Charlie among the potential opportunities.

There has also been speculation surrounding his involvement in TGL, with former teammate Kevin Kisner suggesting Woods is keen to feature more during the competition's third season.

Whether Woods can return to competitive action remains uncertain, but DeChambeau's recollections underline why he was such a difficult opponent to face at his peak.

His ability to shut out distractions and make rivals uncomfortable was not necessarily something everybody enjoyed witnessing.

But, as DeChambeau acknowledged, that relentless determination to win was precisely what made Woods so different.