What do Jackie Robinson, Arnold Palmer, Herman Keiser, Roy "Tip Cup" McAvoy and the Greek letter Gamma all have in common? They can all be found in Bryson DeChambeau's bag.
Golfers have a strong connection with their golf clubs. They know which ones to trust in different moments on the course and they have their favorites. And the more players golf, the more they get to know their clubs.
DeChambeau knows his clubs so well he's on a nickname basis with them. His 5 iron? That's Azalea. The 9 iron? That's Jackie. The pitching wedge? That's Herman Keiser.
What are DeChambeau's club nicknames? Here's what you need to know.
LIVE: U.S. Open Round 2 scores, highlights, updates
Bryson DeChambeau club nicknames
DeChambeau has nicknames for nearly every club in his bag.
Here's a look at each nickname he has for his clubs and the reason he chose those names:
| Club | Nickname | Reason |
| 3 iron | Gamma | Third letter in Greek alphabet |
| 5 iron | Azalea | Favorite par 5 at Augusta |
| 6 iron | Juniper | 6th hole at Augusta |
| 7 iron | Tin Cup | Tin Cup's favorite club |
| 8 iron | 8-ball | Enjoys playing eight-ball |
| 9 iron | Jackie | 42" honoring Jackie Robinson |
| Pitching wedge | Herman Keiser | 46" - 1946 Masters Champion |
| Gap wedge | Jimmy Demaret | 50" - 1950 Masters Champion |
| Sand wedge | Mr. Ward | 55" - Harvie Ward (low amateur at 1955 U.S. Open) |
| Lob wedge | King | Honoring Arnold Palmer |
That's quite the variety of nicknames, mostly centered around the Masters. There are four different clubs that are connected in some way to the Masters.
Tin Cup, for those fans who might not be aware, is a 1996 film starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo about Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy who is a former golfer who competes for a chance to win the U.S. Open.
Eight-ball is one of the most popular forms of billiards that requires hitting the 8-ball in a called pocket.
Four of the club nicknames are centered around club length. The 42-inch 9 iron is connected to Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in Major League Baseball. Robinson wore the No. 42 for the Dodgers. The 46-inch pitching wedge is named for the 1946 Masters winner Herman Keiser, and the 50-inch gap wedge is named after 1950 Masters Champion Jimmy Demaret. The 55-inch sand wedge being named for Harvie Ward is quite the deep cut, as he was the lowest scoring amateur at the 1955 U.S. Open, when he tied for seventh.
And the lob wedge being nicknamed as "King" is a nod to Arnold Palmer's nickname, which was "The King."
As for why the 3 iron is nicknamed Gamma, evidently DeChambeau wanted to match up the third letter in the Greek alphabet to the 3.
It's certainly a unique way of communicating which club he needs at a certain point. Hopefully his caddy has a sharp memory or a guide to remembering which nickname belongs to which club.
