Bryson DeChambeau arrives at The Open Championship with more pressure than momentum. He has missed every major cut this season, and his once-dominant image now sits beside a string of questions about form, strategy, and commitment.
The timing makes this week at Royal Birkdale feel especially revealing. DeChambeau has battled links golf before, but his record at the event has been uneven, and even his latest major results offer little sign that the slide has stopped.
A sharp drop from major force to uncertainty
Two years ago, DeChambeau was celebrating one of golf’s most dramatic major wins after chasing down Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open. He was also coming off a stretch of six top-10 finishes in eight majors, a run that placed him among the game’s most imposing names.
Now the picture looks very different. He declined the PGA Tour pathway back from LIV Golf, and LIV’s own financial uncertainty has reduced the leverage that once surrounded his future. He is still a YouTube golf star, but even that lane has lost some of its shine.
Why The Open matters most right now
The Open Championship has been one of DeChambeau’s toughest majors. He has played major links golf eight times, missed the cut three times, and his best finish at the event is a tie for eighth in 2022.
He did rebound to a tie for 10th last year, but that result now looks more like an exception than a trend. If this week goes poorly, he could become the only multiple-major winner under 40 to miss all four cuts in a single season.
| Open Championship Record | Result |
|---|---|
| Appearances in major links golf | 8 |
| Missed cuts | 3 |
| Best finish | T8 in 2022 |
| Most recent notable result | T10 last year |
Critics are not holding back
Nick Faldo recently delivered a blunt assessment on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, saying DeChambeau has “zero clue of strategy.” Faldo, who won The Open Championship three times, argued that links golf demands control and placement rather than pure force.
Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee was just as direct, saying it feels like DeChambeau has shifted from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing YouTube golfer Grant Horvat instead. The criticism has sharpened the sense that his priorities are being questioned as much as his results.
LIV, content creation, and a changing path
DeChambeau remains under contract to LIV for the rest of the year, but the league’s financial turbulence has raised fresh doubts about what comes next. He has also worked with LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil on business plans and investment pitches, while publicly striking an optimistic tone about the league’s future.
That leaves his options in a more complicated place than before. He is still a recognizable golf content creator, but the balance between competition and media presence is now part of the story around him.
Clubs, silence, and a week that could define the narrative
There is one more twist this week: GolfWRX spotted a new set of irons in DeChambeau’s bag at Royal Birkdale, appearing to be the latest version of his 3D-printed clubs. Switching equipment in the middle of major season is a risk at any venue, and especially at a demanding links test.
DeChambeau did not hold a full media session before The Open and has skipped several speaking opportunities at other majors this year. With a 4:58 a.m. Eastern tee time on Thursday in a group with Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton, the next 36 hours could tell whether this week becomes a reset or another setback.
