"I could have thrown in the towel"- Bryson DeChambeau perseveres despite disappointing round 1 at 2024 Open Championship
Bryson DeChambeau did not have a good opening round at The Open Championship. Majors are four rounds and everything can change, but most contenders had at least a decent opening round. DeChambeau, however, shot five over and is tied for 104th place right now. That is well outside the expected cut line.
The Open Championship is very different from other major tournaments, where DeChambeau has done well of late. He won the US Open last month, placed second at the PGA Championship, and was tied for sixth at the Masters.
But he's going to have his work cut out for him as he looks to make it two major wins in a row. Via Sports Illustrated, DeChambeau spoke about his first round:
“Yeah, it's a completely different test. I didn't get any practice in it, and I didn't really play much in the rain. It's a difficult test out here. Something I'm not familiar with. I never grew up playing it, and not to say that's the reason; I finished eighth at St Andrews (in 2022)."
He said he could play better in the warm weather without wind, but this was a different experience. Despite that, DeChambeau is proud of his perseverance. He added:
"I could have thrown in the towel after nine and could have been like, I'm going home. But no, I've got a chance tomorrow. I'm excited for the challenge. If I have some putts go in and hit some shots the way I know how to and figure out this equipment stuff, I'll be good.’’
DeChambeau has another round to turn it around, but it will be a difficult test to overcome such a tough start.
Rory McIlroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau rematch not in the cards
It doesn't look like Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy will have another epic duel at The Open Championship. Their June showdown at the US Open was must-see golf, and DeChambeau came out on top in the end to claim a stunning win.
That may not be in the cards this time around. DeChambeau is five over and McIlroy is seven over. They both have work to do to get into contention. McIlroy addressed his start as well:
“The course was playing tough. The conditions are very difficult in a wind that we haven't seen so far this week."
He said that when the weather goes awry, practice rounds and strategy often go out the window:
“When you get a wind you haven't played in, it starts to present different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs that you haven't hit in practice."
McIlroy is in 134th place, so he's even further out of contention than Bryson DeChambeau at this time.