Jon DeChambeau, father of professional golfer Bryson, dies after long health battle

Jon DeChambeau, the father of golf star Bryson DeChambeau, died Friday after suffering medical complications and never awakening from a coma.

He was 63.

A highly accomplished amateur golfer who enjoyed a brief stint as a pro, the elder DeChambeau helped grow the sport in the Fresno area in various ways during the past 20 years.

Among them was serving as the golf operations director at Riverbend Golf Club (later renamed Dragonfly Club), holding fundraisers and coaching and teaching golfers of varying skill levels.

“Jon could run a golf course or a golf tournament,” longtime friend Rae Ann Pifferini-Scheidt said. “He was personable and he could talk to anybody. And everybody knew who he was and knew he had a lot of knowledge for the game.

“So they listened. And he was always passionate and competitive about golf.”

DeChambeau passed down his enthusiasm for the sport to son Bryson, who excelled at the game at a young age and has become one of the top golfers in the world on the PGA and LIV Golf tours.

Bryson shared his heartbreaking news through social media Saturday afternoon.

“Love you, Dad,” Bryson posted. “I’m sad to see you go, but you’ve been through way too much pain in this life. I’m so happy you are at peace. Now you get to be with me and watch me at every event I play.

“Thank you for being an amazing Dad and I’ll see you in the next life.”

Health issues amid supporting Bryson

DeChambeau endured several medical issues, including a lengthy battle with diabetes that caused his kidneys to stop working. He underwent dialysis, hooked up to a machine three times a week to have his blood filtered.

When DeChambeau attended Bryson’s Masters debut in 2016, he had to schedule hemodialysis in advance and rush off for treatment between his son’s rounds at Augusta National.

Making matters more difficult, DeChambeau underwent serious foot surgery in the months prior to the Masters and moved around the course with a motorized wheelchair.

“Being at the Masters was huge for Jon,” Pifferini-Scheidt said. “It was crazy and hectic but worth it.”

It was at that Masters that Bryson caught many people’s attention as a young, unique golfer who had an unorthodox approach to the game, including his dedicated use of one-length irons.

Bryson, who in 2015 became one of five golfers in history to win the U.S. Amateur and NCAA Division I championships in the same year, went on to record the lowest score at the Masters among amateurs.

His father’s presence made the Masters performance that much more memorable.

“He hasn’t seen a golf tournament since the U.S. Amateur, and he was flown out for that only for a day to watch the (championship) match,” Bryson said then, according to the Golf Channel. “Before that, he hasn’t been able to see me play, quite honestly, at all, through college or nothing.

“But for him to be here for this moment, it’s special. And it chokes me up.”

A week later, Bryson turned pro.

“Jon was so proud of Bryson,” Pifferini-Scheidt said. “And to hear his son was changing the game completely. Jon didn’t necessarily believe in the single-length irons himself. But he believed in Bryson and saw it was working for him.”

Receiving the gift of life

As DeChambeau’s health continued to decline, he wondered if he’d ever get to see his son play in person again.

And it became clear he needed a kidney transplant.

Initially, former longtime Fresno State golf coach Mike Watney stepped up and volunteered to donate one of his kidneys to DeChambeau.

Testing revealed the two weren’t a perfect match, though DeChambeau was able to climb the kidney waiting list because of Watney’s generosity.

During a Gift of Life golfing event that promoted kidney donation, an old high school friend of DeChambeau’s surprised him in October 2016.

Ron Bankofier, who hadn’t spoken to DeChambeau in 27 years, offered to donate a kidney.

Turned out they were a compatible match.

By March 2017, DeChambeau received his transplant thanks to Bankofier.

Post-transplant life

“The ability for somebody to give part of their body to keep somebody else alive is amazing, and Ron did that,” Bryson said, according to the Golf Channel. “I can’t ever pay him back for keeping my dad alive.”

However, other health issues, including getting part of his lower left leg amputated, still made attending Bryson’s tournaments difficult.

Dad, however, always made sure to catch his son on TV.

Like when Bryson won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot in New York and soared as high as No. 4 in the world rankings.

Bryson earned the label “mad scientist” because of constant tinkering with his game, including changing his physique by adding 40 pounds of muscle.

DeChambeau proudly watched from his home in Clovis as his son continued to show the golfing world that the traditional ways of the sport weren’t the only path to success.

“It was really neat to see Jon light up,” Pifferini-Scheidt said. “Just unbelievable how happy everyone was in that moment. Jon’s such a fiery competitor when he’s golfing, even when he was coaching and teaching Bryson at a young age.

“He never took it easy on Bryson on the golf course. But at the same time, when he was off the course, he was so much more laid back and just really got to enjoy Bryson’s accomplishments.”

DeChambeau suffered a series of mini-strokes in recent weeks and fell into a coma. His family was by his side when he died.

He is survived by his wife, Janet, of 30 years, along with sons Bryson and Garrett Wolford; and two grandchildren with another on the way.