Bryson DeChambeau continues to struggle, as he fails in the St. Jude Invitational's final round while Abraham Ancer wins his first PGA Tour victory. (1:57).MEMPHIS (Tenn.) -- It has not been an easy two-month for Bryson deChambeau.This was the latest example, which occurred at the WGC–FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The eight-time PGA Tour winner saw his chance to win vanish with just a few balls in the water on Sunday.Abraham Ancer won the sudden-death playoff at TPC Southwind after he lost 4 strokes to par in the final nine holes.After shooting 63 on Saturday, he finished the round with a 4-over-par score of 74. He dropped to eighth after a frustrating week in which he was criticized for not answering questions about his COVID-19 positive result that prevented him from participating in the Olympics.DeChambeau (27), declined interviews with print reporters all week as a result of the backlash, and was not available after the round on Sunday.He started the day well with birdies on two of the three first holes Sunday, giving him a tie with Harris English. Then he added another birdie to his first bogey.He got a break after his par-4 sixth tee shot was just in bounds. Officials used a string to rule that the ball was in play. The official then gave him a free drop, as the ball was against a temporary mesh barrier. It got even better when his stance would have been along a cart path. This gave him more relief.DeChambeau couldn't take advantage of the situation and hit his next shot into a tree. This resulted in a bogey. Soon English and DeChambeau were both given a slow play warning. Then, time was taken on the 11th hole.DeChambeau found water on both the 10th hole and the 11th hole, with the second leading to a triple-bogey 6.English finished fourth after shooting 73. "We were being warned on the front nine, and it was difficult to catch up. Bryson was able to make triple on 11 and I was able to make double. I felt like we were running from 12 to now."And it's hard out there -- the wind is picking up. There are some great pins here. It's difficult to win a championship. It's hard to speed up or feel rushed. But I have to do better.DeChambeau is known for being meticulous on the course. However, he did have his moments on Sunday. DeChambeau only hit five fairways and eight greens on 14 of the 18 holes.DeChambeau stated that he had lost between 8 and 10 pounds in the wake of the positive COVID-19 test. He had only just resumed practice a few days before the tournament.He said, "I'm really not expecting much." "I'm just trying to get through the week, feel comfortable, and then go back and do it again until I get my golf swing in a position where I'm happy. This week, I have lower expectations.He played well through all three rounds with scores of 65, 64, and 63.DeChambeau refused to talk to reporters after each round due to the attention he received for his comments on COVID-19 treatment and vaccines. DeChambeau was interviewed by three reporters, one from ESPN and one from Golfweek.DeChambeau stated Wednesday that the vaccine does not necessarily stop it happening. "I am young enough that I would rather give the vaccine to those who really need it. It doesn't matter to me. I am a young, healthy person who will continue to work for my health."I don’t believe that taking vaccines away from people who need them is a good idea. My dad is an excellent example. Because he is diabetic, he got the vaccine early. It is essential for people like him to have it. It was my mom's. It's something I want to keep."Now, as the time goes by, if it [the vaccination] is mainstream, really really mainstream, then yes."DeChambeau was criticized a lot, especially on social media. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, stated that vaccines are easily and abundantly available in the United States and that most COVID-19 cases last Wednesday -- more than 90% -- were among people who are not vaccinated.This was just another example of the drama which has plagued DeChambeau over the past few months.Brooks Koepka was also in a feud. He shot 44 over the nine holes at Torrey Pines, when he was leading U.S. Open. He fell to a tie for 26th. Tucker split with him prior to the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Tucker missed the cut. Tucker frustratedly called out his equipment and said that his "driver sucks"' after The Open. This drew back from Cobra who is his equipment manufacturer and endorser.Then he was found to be positive for COVID-19 and he was thrown out of the Olympics.DeChambeau had a generally good week, but it was hard to accept a nine-point loss that cost him his chance of winning. He now has a week off to recover before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin.
