Bryson DeChambeau delivered a strong opening round of 3-under 67 at The Open Championship on Thursday, using the performance to address criticism he has faced regarding his strategy and recent major tournament struggles.

DeChambeau, the 2024 U.S. Open Champion, has had a challenging 2026 season in majors, missing the cut at The Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open. This performance dip has led to critiques from commentators, including golf legend Nick Faldo, who questioned DeChambeau's strategic approach, particularly on links courses.

"He has zero clue of strategy," Faldo told Sky Sports earlier in the week. "He said it last year I think on TV: ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links.’ Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway."

Analyst Brandel Chamblee also suggested DeChambeau's focus may have shifted too heavily toward content creation, such as his YouTube channel, rather than purely golf performance. "It's almost like he went from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing Grant Horvat," Chamblee stated.

DeChambeau, however, directly addressed these remarks in a post-round interview, emphasizing his game plan for the Royal Birkdale course. "I think you’ve got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course," DeChambeau said. "I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places."

While acknowledging the need to improve his driving accuracy on certain holes, DeChambeau expressed satisfaction with his strategic execution during the first round. "Other than that, I played really well. Made some good putts. I three-putted once, but that’s life."

Data from recent Open Championships appears to support DeChambeau's emphasis on his off-the-tee performance. In the last four Open Championships, he has consistently gained strokes on the field in strokes gained off the tee. This trend continued in the first round at Royal Birkdale, where he ranked third in that category. His struggles have more frequently been linked to approach play, though he gained over two shots in that area during his opening round.

Despite the criticism, DeChambeau's performance and unique approach, such as his use of 3-D printed, single-length irons, continue to draw attention. His strong start positions him to contend over the weekend, potentially offering a further response to his detractors.