2026 has been a tough year for two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau. Although he won twice on LIV Golf in March, his major performance will define his season.
And these results have not been good. At all. DeChambeau, for the first time in his career, missed the cut in three consecutive major tournaments: the 2026 Masters, the PGA Championship and the US Open.
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But you’re only as good as your last round, and DeChambeau finally has some momentum in 2026. In the first round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, DeChambeau shared the lead until he made bogey on his final hole.
Bryson DeChambeau waves to the crowd during the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. (Oisin Keniry/R&A)
Still, he managed to shoot a 3-under 67, putting himself in a great position to at least make the cut and potentially challenge for a major championship again.
DeChambeau hadn’t shot under par in any of his six major rounds in 2026, so this was by far his best major round of the year. He played in the same group with world number one Scottie Scheffler and finished one stroke better than Scheffler.
DeChambeau showed the long game that helped him enter the conversation as one of the best players in the world. With Royal Birkdale drying up, DeChambeau took advantage and played aggressively from the start. Even though he only hit 5 of 14 fairways, the 32-year-old American finished second in the field in strokes gained: right off the tee after the morning wave.
Bryson DeChambeau hits the 14th hole during the first round of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
In 2024 and 2025, DeChambeau has finished in the top 10 in six of his eight major starts, including a victory at the 2024 US Open and two second-place finishes at the 2024 and 2025 PGA Championships.
He was mentioned in the same conversation as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as one of the best golfers on the planet.
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But with the future of LIV Golf up in the air, DeChambeau has made comments suggesting he may not return to the PGA Tour if LIV Golf closes and may instead focus on golf on YouTube.
Former players and golf analysts reacted to DeChambeau’s comments, saying his focus on YouTube golf rather than competitive professional golf was affecting his performance in major tournaments.
Bryson DeChambeau shot a 3-under 67 in the first round of the Open Championship after missing the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship and the 2026 US Open. (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Heading into the Open Championship, Nick Faldo said DeChambeau “had no idea of strategy.”
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Brandel Chamblee added: “It’s almost like he went from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing [YouTube golfer] Grant Horvat. It’s like he wants to outdo all the YouTubers at golf instead of outdoing everyone at golf. »
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DeChambeau, who usually makes himself available to the media after his tour, declined to speak to reporters after Thursday’s performance.
But, for at least one day at the Open Championship, DeChambeau looked a lot more like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy than Grant Horvat.
It remains to be seen whether he can continue this momentum.
