Bryson DeChambeau kisses another major title goodbye following disastrous start to The Open

Bryson DeChambeau’s hopes of lifting a third major trophy evaporated in the space of a single round, as he stumbled to a +7 opening score of 78 at the 153rd Open Championship, his worst score to date in a major.

After posting that round, he is provisionally tied for 144th place among 156 starters and faces an uphill battle to make the cut at Royal Portrush.

DeChambeau’s analytical approach, characterised by booming drives and data-driven precision, is ill-suited to the unpredictable nature of links golf, a sentiment echoed by analyst Rex Hoggard.

On the notoriously difficult fourth hole, his tee shot veered into deep fescue, leading to a bizarre sequence: a knee-high rescue shot that travelled a mere seven yards, followed by a double bogey. 

From that moment, the tone of his round shifted irreversibly south.

The white-knuckle start gave way to further damage, with DeChambeau whiffing a second shot in thick rough and ending the round with consecutive bogeys. 

He finished without a single birdie—a brutal rarity—and posted the highest single-round score for him in a major to date .

McIlroy had predicted that DeChambeau’s “scientific” game might falter on unpredictable courses like Portrush.

The Irishman himself managed a respectable even-par 70, rebounding from earlier mistakes, and remains just three strokes behind the lead, a tone of redemption that DeChambeau would envy.

Behind the scenes, DeChambeau skipped media duties and avoided the range following his disastrous start, likely choosing reflection over the spotlight. 

But history suggests remarkable turnarounds are possible at at Royal Portrush.