SOUTHPORT, England — American golfer Bryson DeChambeau let his clubs do the talking Thursday, posting a three-under-par 67 in his first round at the British Open on a sunny day at Royal Birkdale — a performance that pushed back hard against recent criticism of his links-course abilities.
Wielding a set of 3D-printed irons, the two-time U.S. Open champion looked like a player completely at ease with the demands of links golf, slapping hands with fans along the way as he navigated the rolling course with confidence and precision.
His showing stood in sharp contrast to what three-time Open champion Nick Faldo had said in the days before the tournament began — that DeChambeau had “zero clue on strategy” when it came to this style of play. The 32-year-old wasted no time making his case, opening with back-to-back birdies and picking up three more strokes on the back nine.
The only blemish came at the 18th hole, where he missed a short putt and walked away with a bogey. Still, given the fast and demanding conditions, DeChambeau has positioned himself as a genuine contender for the Claret Jug.
“It was a hard-fought battle out there. The wind was switching quite a bit. It was fun seeing the fans going at us, and they were rooting for all of us,” DeChambeau told reporters. “It was fun just seeing the ups and downs of the group, but we all played pretty well. It was a lot of fun.”
Known for his aggressive approach and ability to launch the ball enormous distances off the tee, DeChambeau had struggled at major events this year, failing to make the cut at each of the three previous majors. On Thursday, however, he topped both of his playing partners — 2025 champion Scottie Scheffler, who finished at two-under with a 68, and England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who came in at 69.
“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,” DeChambeau said. “Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
There were hints that DeChambeau was getting comfortable with links-style play last year at Royal Portrush. After stumbling with a seven-over 78 in round one, he bounced back with rounds of 65, 68, and 64 to finish in a tie for tenth place.
Playing partner Hatton said DeChambeau’s strong start should come as no surprise to anyone watching closely.
“He flights the ball great. His ball flight today was really good. He didn’t really hit many bad shots,” Hatton said.
DeChambeau said he thrives when the challenge is tough and expressed genuine appreciation for the chance to play alongside world number one Scheffler.
“Any time you get off to a great start, it’s awesome, but there’s three more days,” he said. “There’s still a lot of golf to be played. But ultimately from my perspective I was really excited about the way I played.”
“It was fun playing with Scottie, seeing how good he strikes the ball. I’ve wanted to play with him for a while now. Seeing how he struck the ball today was beautiful. It’s a good gauge, right? It tells me kind of where my game’s at. Also shows me where he’s at.”
