SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND. Opening rounds at any major championship can be stress producers. The bar of anticipation is filled with expectations and matters can quickly go awry if one’s play is not up to the task presented.
Coming into the 2026 season, Bryson DeChambeau was seeking to entrench himself among the top 4-5 players in pro golf.
The two-time major winners with US Open wins at Winged Foot and Pinehurst was seeking to expand his career portfolio with other notable triumphs.
And then the unexpected happened.
Bryson arrived at Augusta in early April and after two rounds was heading home.
In May he came to Aronimink for the PGA Championship and again after two rounds was sent packing.
At the US Open in June at Shinnecock Hills he went three-for-three in futility with another missed cut.
Naturally, such miscues prompted questions – plenty of them. Leading the way was DeChambeau’s devoted commitment to LIV Golf. With key players looking for the exit door, Bryson has opted to remain loyal even though a near certain dead end awaits the fledgling golf organization.
DeChambeau could not play in the Scottish Open as a warm-up to this week’s Open Championship because he has no status as a member of the DP World Tour membership.
Prior to the start of this week’s event at Royal Birkdale came the comments from three-time Open winner Nick Faldo who lambasted DeChambeau for no real strategic plan when encountering links golf. The comments from the six-time major winner were hardly flattering.
Faldo stated emphatically that DeChambeau has “zero clue of strategy” when it comes to playing traditional links golf.
Complicating matters for Bryson was the first-round pairing with world number one Scottie Scheffler and the talented English golfer Tyrell Hatton.
DeChambeau demonstrated a sense of urgency with his first-round play and achieved what he failed to do in the three earlier majors — score under-par for any round.
Even though Bryson landed his tee shot on 4 of 14 fairways he managed to get himself started in the right direction playing the outward nine in three-under-par 32.
When DeChambeau birdied the 10th, it appeared he would have the momentum on his side. But after playing the 14th sloppily, Bryson bogied the par-5.
To his credit he bounced back with consecutive birdies at the 16th and 17th to place his name in a shared position at the top of the leaderboard. A bogey at the 18th hole came about because his approach went through the green and he was unable to get up and down.
Nonetheless, a score of 67 places him near the very top of the leaderboard and trailing Jackson Suber by just two shots.
DeChambeau was candid about the formidable nature of Royal Birkdale and what lies ahead.
“Yeah, definitely satisfying. Any time you get off to a great start, it’s awesome, but there’s three more days, dude. There’s still a lot of golf to be played. But ultimately from my perspective I was really excited about the way I played.”
Having Scheffler in his pairing was advantageous for the 32-year-old.
“It was fun playing with Scottie, seeing how good he strikes the ball. That’s something — I’ve wanted to play with him for a while now. Seeing how he struck the ball today was beautiful, said DeChambeau.
“Definitely. It’s a good gauge, right? It tells me kind of where my game’s at. Also shows me where he’s at. It’s good to see it in person.”
DeChambeau’s re-emergence is not yet complete. As he mentioned there are 54 holes to be played and he still has to get past the 36-hole cut.
But given his woeful play in this year’s previous majors, his start at Royal Birkdale could serve as a springboard for more impactful results in the days ahead.
We shall see.
Related: The most memorable Opens since 2000
M. James Ward
A long-time member of both the GWAA and MGWA. The 68-year-old has covered all facets in golf since 1980 — including reporting on over 100 major championships and 13 Ryder Cup matches. His writings have appeared in various outlets. On a personal level, has played over 2,000 courses globally and is lead reviewer for Top 100 Golf Courses.
Previously served for 17 years as national course rating panelist for Golf Digest. Has also personally competed in USGA Championships. Resides in the metro New York City area with his wife Celeste. Favorite quote paraphrased for golf — “You are what your golf score says you are.”