Bryson DeChambeau carded an opening-round 67 at The Open, a score that demonstrated a strategic approach and offered a response to recent critiques of his game. After missing the cut in his previous three major appearances this year, DeChambeau's performance at Royal Birkdale placed him at three under par, two strokes behind early leader Jackson Suber.
Strategic Play Addresses Doubts
Among those who had questioned DeChambeau's approach to links golf was golf icon Sir Nick Faldo, who recently stated in an interview that DeChambeau possessed "zero clue of strategy." In a post-round comment to a tournament media official, DeChambeau appeared to push back against such assessments. "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. I feel like my strategy was nice today."
This marked a turnaround from his performances at the U.S. PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, where he left the course without speaking to media outlets. DeChambeau's 67 was one shot better than his playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, and placed him alongside Bob MacIntyre at three under par. A bogey on the final hole prevented an even stronger opening.
Other Notable Performances
Elsewhere in the field, Rory McIlroy struggled, finishing with a 72 after missing several short putts. Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton both posted 69s, while Aaron Rai carded a 71. Justin Rose battled a neck injury and a double bogey on the 11th hole en route to a 75. Matt Fitzpatrick finished at 72.
Dan Brown, who led during the 2024 Open before finishing 10th, opened with a 66. Brown expressed concern about the course's fire hazard warnings potentially affecting his habit of smoking cigarettes, stating that stress levels would rise if he were unable to smoke. "Hopefully I can do it for the rest of the week," he said. "There might be a big drop-off by Sunday if I'm not allowed to."