Missing fairways
British Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau's major mojo finally fizzles
Stuart Kerr/R&A
TROON, Scotland — On Tuesday, in his pre-tournament press conference, reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau admitted that although he's had success on links-style courses, playing them remained a significant challenge, and that Royal Troon would be impossible to overpower. On Thursday, in his first major round since winning at Pinehurst, his prophecies came true to the tune of a five-over 76 to begin the British Open, eight shots behind the pace set early by Justin Thomas.
"I finished eighth at St. Andrews [in 2022]," he said, grinning and upbeat despite the setback. "I can do it … when it's warm and not windy."
It was neither warm nor windless Thursday on the west coast of Scotland, and there was rain to boot. DeChambeau bogeyed his first hole with a three-putt, lost a drive to the native area on three, and missed another three-footer on four. The real disaster, though, came on the par-5 sixth, when he blew another drive to the native area, caught a 7-iron thin and only advanced it four yards out of the fescue, then pulled a 5-wood into the crowd. When it was over, he had finished with a double-bogey 7. One last bogey on the famed Postage Stamp par-3 eighth doomed him to a front-nine 42, and though he rebounded with a back-nine 34 that included a 54-foot eagle putt on 16, the damage had been done.
To DeChambeau, a big part of the problem was how his equipment responded to the conditions.
"Look, I'm not at 190 ball speed, so particularly when I'm hitting driver or 3-wood, those clubs are built for around that speed, that 190 ball speed," he said. "And my 3-wood around 180. So colder, firmer conditions the golf ball is not compressing as much … it's probably something along those lines."
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He vowed twice to "figure it out" ahead of Friday’s second round and seemed confident in his ability to fight back.
"Shoot, man, I could have thrown in the towel after nine and could have been like, I'm going home," he said. "But no, I've got a chance tomorrow. I'm excited for the challenge. If I have some putts go in and hit some shots the way I know how to and figure out this equipment stuff, I'll be good."
His optimism no doubt stems in part from his impressive performances this year in the majors. Aside from his victory at Pinehurst, he finished second at the PGA Championship in May and a T-6 at the Masters in April. The 30-year-old has every reason to believe that Thursday was an outlier.
His high spirits may also owe somewhat to the congratulations he received from Tiger Woods, which he said was the first time the two spoke at least since DeChambeau joined LIV.
"I'm sure that winning two U.S. Opens definitely helped, I guess, for him coming up and saying congrats," he said. "I don't know what his position is, but it was very thoughtful, and I was appreciative of it."
At another moment in the post-round interview, DeChambeau was classically himself. When a reporter asked him if the conditions were "incalculable" due to the various elements, then wondered aloud whether he had said the word correctly, DeChambeau responded with a confident correction:
"Incalculatable."
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Is it the British Open or the Open Championship? The name of the final men’s major of the golf season is a subject of continued discussion. The event’s official name, as explained in this op-ed by former R&A chairman Ian Pattinson, is the Open Championship. But since many United States golf fans continue to refer to it as the British Open, and search news around the event accordingly, Golf Digest continues to utilize both names in its coverage.
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