Bryson DeChambeau’s driver didn’t suck in the final round of the 149th British Open.
A trying week for the 2020 U.S. Open champion ended on a bright note as he took advantage of calm conditions to shoot a bogey-free 5-under 65 at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England.
“Finishing 5-under is a good feat given it’s the Sunday of an Open Championship, and I think that I’ll learn a lot from this going into next year,” said DeChambeau, who finished with a 72-hole aggregate of 2-under 278.
DeChambeau’s 65 marked his lowest score in his career in the majors. It followed three pedestrian rounds that had him barely making the 36-hole cut and playing out the string early on Sunday morning. DeChambeau blamed his driver for his poor performance in the opening round, saying, “it sucks,” before issuing an apology via social media in which he clarified that, in fact, he “sucked.”
Links golf has proved to be a mystery wrapped in an enigma for DeChambeau, so far. He’s missed the cut twice, finished 51st another time and was destined for a finish in the mid-30s this year as the final round continued to play out.
A fantastic Final Round 65 for @b_dechambeau
Ending the week with a bang #TheOpen
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— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2021
“It’s one of those things that for me it’s going to take time probably to learn the whole ins and outs of Open golf,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever figure it out, but hopefully one year I can get some of the right breaks going for me and hitting really good with all facets of my game and give myself a great chance to win an Open Championship.”
Could next year be that year? Of course, weather will play a big factor, but the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, the proverbial Home of Golf, has always been kind to long drivers from Jack Nicklaus (winner in 1970, 1978) to John Daly’s “Grip it and Rip it,” style, which won out in 1995 to Tiger Woods, who triumphed there twice in 2000 and 2005. More recently, Rory McIlroy shot 63 in the opening round in 2010 before settling for a T-3 finish. But St. Andrews can be an equal opportunity host for major glory. The most recent winner to hoist the Claret Jug was short-knocker Zach Johnson in 2015.
DeChambeau, who in November called Augusta National a par 68, admitted on Saturday that earning the distinction of “Champion Golfer of the Year” will be his toughest task among the four legs of the career Grand Slam.
“It’s why I love it here, because of the challenge,” DeChambeau told reporters after his round. “This one keeps me scratching my head.”
On Sunday, DeChambeau made birdie at the first and took advantage of his length to birdie the par-5 seventh. He reeled off three birdies in a row beginning at the 12th. It didn’t hurt that he hit half the fairways in the final round and 15 greens in regulation.
“It’s difficult out here. You’ve got to really manage yourself and make sure you’re hitting it right parts of the fairway,” he said. “As time goes on, I’ll keep learning more and more about Open Championship style golf, and one day again hopefully I can hold up the Claret Jug. That would be awesome.”