Bryson DeChambeau has proved many of his critics wrong after day one of The Open.
The two-time US Open winner was hurtling towards missing all four major cuts in a single season. But through round one, it looks like he’s avoided that fate.
A three-under 67 on Thursday means DeChambeau is two shots back of the lead heading into round two. He looks in complete control of his golf ball on a baked-out Royal Birkdale.
Despite his solid play, DeChambeau still didn’t escape criticism because of what he did after his round.
Bryson DeChambeau slammed for turning down media at The Open
DeChambeau hasn’t spoken to the media at a major since The Masters, but after his promising showing in round one of The Open, you’d think he’d be more willing to talk. But he turned down questions from the media at large, and instead did a private one-on-one interview with a LIV Golf presenter.
This didn’t sit right with Wayne Riley, who went off on DeChambeau on Sky Sports. He said, “Well look, he goes and plays a tour, which not many people watch. That’s honest. The PGA Tour is very, very big.
“So you can’t come to these major championships in my mind’s eye and sit back and say ‘I’m not gonna talk to you, I’m not gonna talk to you, I’m not gonna talk to you.’
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“It’s a duty. He said that he wants to give the fans something to cheer about, but the fans want to see him being interviewed. We love Bryson DeChambeau, the way he plays the game.
“Some dislike him, some like him. But for me, I love to watch him play. And the way he plays, he has the game to take this golf course by the scruff of the neck, bully it, and maybe win. But you’ve got to talk to the media, you just have to do it. Because that’s just what the game is.
“You can’t just walk away and say ‘No, no, I’m not going to talk’. It’s just not in the spirit of the game in my opinion.”
DeChambeau is trying to take his media duties into his own hands by using his platform, but by doing so, he’s frustrating golf fans everywhere. He’s seemingly unwilling to answer the big questions surrounding LIV Golf, and that’s a crying shame for fans who want to know more about his future.
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