As Bryson DeChambeau prepares to tee off at the British Open, a significant streak of missed cuts looms over his major championship performance this season. DeChambeau has failed to reach the weekend rounds at The Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open. This marks a stark contrast to his success in LIV Golf events, where he has secured two victories this year.
Fellow major champion Nick Faldo voiced strong opinions on DeChambeau's major championship difficulties. "That’s a whole part of the story, how they’re superstars at LIV then come over and can’t do it," Faldo told Sky Sports. "He has — I’d say it to his face — he has zero clue of strategy."
Faldo suggested that DeChambeau's focus on maximizing distance, such as his past comments about wanting to "attack the links," is detrimental in major championships. "Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway," Faldo explained, emphasizing the need for course management over raw power, especially when visibility is a factor.
DeChambeau's current performance trend is historically uncommon for a golfer of his caliber. According to golf reporter Justin Ray, the last time a golfer with multiple major victories missed the cut in all four majors in a single calendar year was in 1998. The golfers who achieved this unfortunate milestone, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw, were both in their mid-to-late 40s at the time.
DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open champion, acknowledged the challenge of the Royal Birkdale course ahead of the British Open. He told Sky Sports that he has introduced new 3D-printed irons for the tournament, stating, "This is a very tough golf course. I like it. It really tests every facet of your game."