PGA Championship: Bryson DeChambeau’s ‘inexplicable’ start to majors and what’s behind LIV golf star’s latest struggles? | golf news

Bryson DeChambeau’s torrid start to the big season at the PGA Championship continued, extending a run that has seen him suffer noticeable slumps at the sport’s biggest events.

DeChambeau is a two-time US Open champion and runner-up in each of the past two years at the PGA Championship, although his dominant form has disappeared since finishing tied-second with Scotty Scheffler last May.

His title defense at the US Open a month later resulted in a missed cut, finishing no worse than sixth in five of his previous six major starts, with his 10th at The Open coming after he opened with an opening round 78.

DiChambeau was among the favorites to challenge Rory McIlroy and Scheffler at The Masters, coming off back-to-back wins at the LIV Golf League, only to make early exits after rounds of 76 and 74.

The world number 28’s nightmare opening rounds continued on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club, with a six-over 76 for the fourth consecutive major in which he started with a round of three over or worse.

DeChambeau declined to speak to the media after the round, as he did every day during the LIV Golf event in Virginia last week, with former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley questioning whether uncertainty over the circuit’s long-term future was a possible reason for the drop-off.

“(Uncertainty about LIV) has to be part of it, because he also missed the cut at The Masters,” McGinley said. told Sky Sports. “There’s a lot going on (in men’s golf) and Bryson is in the middle of it.

“He’s been told by his agent not to do any media and he hasn’t done any work this week – he’s trying not to step into it, because he’s said a lot of things that have been controversial and that can’t help.

“He’s playing really well at LIV, it’s not like his game is off. He’s won there twice this year, so it’s not like he’s playing bad.

“Guys like him and Jon Rahm, and the guys at LIV, aren’t playing on a competitive circuit like the PGA Tour and the courses aren’t as tough. They (LIV golfers) then have to elevate their game to the major championships and that’s 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.”

An ‘inexplicable’ start for DeChambeau

DeChambeau – starting on the back nine – bogeyed two of his opening four holes and fell further behind with consecutive dropped shots from the 17th, then Parse’s run appeared to have ended when he failed to get over the seventh green to save par.

The round unraveled further at the par-three eighth, where two misjudged chips required him to hole out from 10 feet to scratch out a double-bogey, before his only birdie of the day came on the par-five night.

DeChambeau ranks outside the top 120 in tournament statistics for tee-to-green, around-the-green and strokes gained with the 32-year-old – last on the range Wednesday evening – returning to practice post-round to try and find a solution.

“I literally can’t believe it,” Dame Laura Davies said of DeChambeau’s performance during Sky Sports’ coverage. “He was third last week (LIV Golf Virginia), another solid performance at LIV.

“He came here on a course that you’d think would suit him, even though we know now you have to fit the fairways. It was just inexplicable. The way he played the eighth – he was back and forth across the green. He looked almost disinterested – but we know he is.”

Rahm is impressed with ‘less noise’ for the future

DeChambeau is one of 11 LIV golfers in this week’s main field, with Jon Rahm the other, and will be looking to build on his two wins on the circuit this season – in Hong Kong and Mexico.

Rahm reached an agreement with DP World Tour last week to retain his membership And will qualify for next year’s Ryder Cup, dominating the title since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. (PIF) has announced that they will end funding for LIV Golf at the end of the season.

“To be fair, I think there was a lot more noise last week (about LIV Golf’s future) than this week,” Rahm said. told Sky Sports after his opening round 69. “It wasn’t as bad as I expected. It was a rather pleasant week really, nothing different.

“But once you get to Thursday and actually playing golf and competing is the number one priority, things go away and even the crowd forgets that I think. Playing with people like Jordan (Spieth) and Rory (McIlroy), a lot of people were pulling for me.”

Rahm sits atop the LIV Golf individual standings despite runner-up finishes in Riyadh and South Africa, with the former world No 1 finishing no worse than 11th in the 32 events he has played on the circuit since joining ahead of the 2024 season.

A win this week would see Rahm complete the third leg of a career Grand Slam, having already won the US Open in 2021 and the Masters in 2023. It will also silence doubters who have questioned his credentials – and key results – since joining LIV Golf.

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