Bryson DeChambeau Gives Wild Explanation About 'Salty Balls' After U.S. Open Round

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Bryson DeChambeau leads the U.S. Open after three rounds and is just one solid round of golf from capturing his second U.S. Open championship. 

Playing at Pinehurst No. 2, most of the best players in the world are struggling to make birdies on some of the toughest greens in the world. 

Not DeChambeau, though, who made six birdies on Saturday to shoot the second-best round of the day (67). 

Part of the reason might just be the seemingly bizarre process that DeChambeau puts his golf balls through. 

Bryson DeChambeau, who leads the U.S. Open after three rounds, told reporters about the process he uses with his golf balls.

Bryson DeChambeau, who leads the U.S. Open after three rounds, told reporters about the process he uses with his golf balls.

(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

DeChambeau is sometimes called "The Mad Scientist" because of how much math and science he applies to the game of golf. 

For example, he's the only player who uses a launch monitor on the putting green to measure exactly how fast his putts roll. 

But his golf ball explanation takes the "Mad Scientist" moniker to a new level. 

"Thanks for the salty balls question, I appreciate that," DeChambeau said with a chuckle when asked about his golf ball process. "Yeah, I put my golf balls in Epsom salt." 

OK, Bryson, you have my attention. You put your golf balls in salt water? 

"We float golf balls in a solution to make sure that the golf balls are not out of balance," he continued. "Because of the manufacturing process, there's always going to be an error, especially when it's a sphere and there are dimples on the edges.

"So, what I'm doing is finding… how much out of balance it is…. The heavy side floats to the bottom, and then we mark the top with a dot to make sure that it's always rolling over itself." 

He went on to explain that by making sure the heavy side is on the bottom, he can always make sure the ball is spinning the way he needs it to spin. 

"I just try to be as precise as possible," he added. "It's one more step that I do to make sure my golf ball flies as straight as it possibly can fly, because I'm not that great at hitting it straight."

I disagree that Bryson DeChambeau isn't that great at hitting straight because he's hitting the ball pretty damn straight at the U.S. Open. 

What's the saying about superstitions, "it's only crazy if it doesn't work"? Well, DeChambeau might have an interesting process with his golf balls, but it certainly isn't crazy. 

Because it's working. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.