If you are a golf fan, you certainly are aware of the spectacular season Xander Schauffele has had. Two major championship victories, a second-place finish in the regular season standings, and a chance to take home the FedEx Cup trophy for season champion in two weeks. His first major victory came in dramatic fashion, as he rolled in a birdie putt on the final hole to secure his win. The runner-up, Bryson Dechambeau, has also had himself quite the season. He was a major winner at the U.S. Open and was near the top of the leaderboard in every major tournament.
On Sunday of the PGA Championship, it felt like Bryson had broken through. His last victory in a major came in 2020, and he had been searching for that magic for four years. Dechambeau had the low round that day, and when he walked to the clubhouse he had set the record for lowest score ever in a PGA Championship. Unfortunately, the moment was fleeting and Schauffele was inevitable. His birdie putt to win erased Dechambeau’s name from the history books and as good as Bryson was, Xander was just better.
That is how the Mavericks feel right now. They had an incredible off-season, upgrading at the margins and making every right move to keep pace with the ever-growing talent pool in today’s league. Despite this, they still have some major question marks (Klay Thompson’s defensive ability and Kyrie Irving’s health, to name a couple) and feel like they are just behind the other major contenders. They weren’t the only team that made all the right moves, as Oklahoma City got significantly better, and Boston and Minnesota are running it back with the teams that got them to a championship and the Conference Finals, respectively.
The road to a championship is always difficult, but even more so when the teams that were in your way the prior year had significant leaps forward (Oklahoma City with off-season moves and Boston and Minnesota with experience). That is not to say the Mavericks aren’t ready. They showed they were last year and the front office backed them up by making win-now moves. Dallas just might be a sportscar caught in a race with Formula 1 drivers.
Luckily for Dallas, Bryson Dechambeau won the next major, as previously mentioned, in a field with most of the same guys including Xander Schauffele. It can be done; the Mavericks are good enough to win a championship. The difference for Bryson was a little luck but a lot of willpower. He hit one of the greatest shots in major history on the 72nd and final hole, one that doesn’t happen without an indescribable force. The Mavericks will have a chance to decide which Bryson Dechambeau they want to be. We’re going to find out if they’re okay with saying they were good enough, or if their resentment for losing will propel them past the finish line.
