Bryson DeChambeau’s torrid start to the major season continued at the PGA Championship, extending a run that has seen him experience a noticeable slump in the sport’s biggest events.
DeChambeau is a two-time US Open champion and has finished runner-up at the PGA Championship in each of the last two years, although has seen his major form disappear since ending tied-second to Scottie Scheffler last May.
His title defence at the US Open a month later resulted in a missed cut, having finished no worse than sixth in five of his previous six major starts, with his share of 10th at The Open coming after he started with an opening-round 78.
DeChambeau was among the favourites to challenge Rory McIlroy and Scheffler at The Masters, having arrived with back-to-back victories on the LIV Golf League, only to suffer an early exit after rounds of 76 and 74.
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Bryson DeChambeau made a triple bogey on the 18th hole of his second round at The Masters last month to miss the cut
The world No 28’s nightmare opening rounds in majors continued Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club, with a six-over 76 the fourth successive major where he started with a round of three over or worse.
DeChambeau declined to speak to the media post-round, just as he did each day during last week’s LIV Golf event in Viriginia, with former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley questioning whether uncertainty over the circuit’s long-term future is a possible reason for the drop-off.
DeChambeau has played the last four opening rounds of majors in a combined 20 over
“[The uncertainty regarding LIV] has to be part of it, as he missed the cut at The Masters as well,” McGinley told Sky Sports. “There is a lot going on [in men’s golf] and Bryson is in the middle of it.
“He has been told by his agent not to do any media and he hasn’t done any this week – he’s trying to not put his foot in it, because he has said a number of things that have been controversial and it can’t help.
“He is playing really well on LIV, it’s not like his game is off. He has won twice there this year, so it’s not like he is playing badly.
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Brandel Chamblee explained his thoughts behind Bryson DeChambeau’s struggles in majors – ahead of this week’s tournament – and believes LIV has made golf less competitive
“Guys like him and Jon Rahm, and the guys from LIV, are not playing on a circuit as competitive as the PGA Tour and courses aren’t as difficult. They [LIV Golf players] are then having to elevate their game into major championships and that is a big, big jump.
“They’ve got four times a year where they’re playing against the best players in the world and I think that brings a lot of pressure with it.”
An ‘inexplicable’ start for DeChambeau
DeChambeau – beginning on the back nine – bogeyed two of his opening four holes and fell further behind with successive dropped shots from the 17th, then saw a run of pars ended when he failed to get up and down from off the seventh green to save par.
DeChambeau only registered on birdie during his opening round at the PGA Championship
The round unravelled further at the par-three eighth, where two misjudged chips left him needing to hole from 10 feet to scramble a double-bogey, before his only birdie of the day coming at the par-five ninth.
DeChambeau ranked outside the top 120 in the tournament stats for strokes gained from tee-to-green, around the green and in putting, with the 32-year-old – last on the range on Wednesday evening – returning to the practice area post-round to try and find a solution.
“I literally can’t believe it,” Dame Laura Davies said about DeChambeau’s performance during Sky Sports’ coverage. “He was third last week [LIV Golf Virginia], another solid performance on LIV.
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Bryson DeChambeau has questioned about his 3D-printed 5-iron after a tough start at The Masters last month
“He has come here to a course that you would have thought would suit him, albeit we know now you’ve got to fit fairways. It was just inexplicable. The way he played the eighth – he was back and forth across the green. He almost looked uninterested – but we know he is.”
Rahm impresses after ‘less noise’ over future
DeChambeau is one of 11 LIV Golf players in this week’s major field, with Jon Rahm another and looking to build on his two victories – in Hong Kong and Mexico – on the circuit this season.
Rahm reached a deal with the DP World Tour last week to retain his membership and remain eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup, having dominated headlines since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund [PIF] announced they would end funding for LIV Golf at the end of the season.
Jon Rahm mixed an eagle and two birdies with three bogeys during his round
“To be fair, I think there was way more noise [about LIV Golf’s future] last week than this week,” Rahm told Sky Sports after his opening-round 69. “It wasn’t as bad as I expected. It’s been a rather pleasurable week honestly, nothing different.
“But once you get to Thursday and actually playing golf and competition is the No 1 priority, things go away and even the crowd forgets about it I think. Playing with people like Jordan [Spieth] and Rory [McIlroy], there was a lot of people pulling for me.”
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Jon Rahm holed out for eagle at the second hole during the first round of the PGA Championship to get back to level par
Rahm sits top of LIV Golf’s individual standings after also finishing runner-up in Riyadh and South Africa, with the former world No 1 finishing no worse than 11th in all 32 events he has played on the circuit since joining ahead of the 2024 season.
He was forced to apologise after accidentally hitting a volunteer in the face with a divot on the par-four seventh, his 16th hole of the day, having slammed his club into the group in an incident he described as “inexcusable.”
“I got a flier on my second shot that went long,” Rahm explained to reporters. “It’s not a good spot. Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass. I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer.
Can Rahm claim a third major title this week?
“Unfortunately it hit him in the shoulder and then the face. I couldn’t feel any worse – that’s why I was there apologising. I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable.
“Whether it was my intention or not, it was just not good.”
A victory this week would see Rahm complete the third leg of the career Grand Slam, having already won the US Open in 2021 and The Masters in 2023. It would also silence any doubters who have questioned his credentials – and major results – since joining LIV Golf.
Who will win the PGA Championship? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.
