For the second-straight major, Bryson DeChambeau looks completely out of sorts.
The two-time US Open winner was beaten by the conditions at Aronimink. DeChambeau shot an opening round 76 to put him six-over par, four shots above the projected cut line.
Advertisement
After he missed the cut at The Masters with a triple bogey on the final hole, this was a vitally important week for DeChambeau in his negotiations with both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. He needed to prove his worth as one of the world’s top talents, but he looked totally out of his depth.
CBS analyst Johnson Wagner said there’s a clear reason why DeChambeau struggled during his opening round, which he finds incredibly “concerning”.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Johnson Wagner says Bryson DeChambeau cannot play in the wind
DeChambeau’s ball striking was all over the place during his opening round, as he explored every inch of Aronimink with his wayward shots.
Advertisement
Wagner said that his struggles can be attributed with his inability to play in the wind. Speaking on Golf on CBS’ YouTube, he said, “Talk a lot about Bryson as a scientist and seemingly on golf courses that require a little bit more artistry, he struggles.
“The way he goes through his putting with that yardstick and he measures putts back and forth, you can’t putt greens with this kind of slope with that sort of precision. You’ve got feel it.
“Honestly, I don’t think he’s a very good wind player. He has a real issue bringing the flight down on shots. I think he’s a very poor Open Championship player. He had a nice finish at Portrush last year. The only day it really blew was the first round where he shot 76.0
“So it’s like a little bit of gusty conditions. He just, and you said it with a single length irons. It’s why he doesn’t play Augusta great because there’s too many lies that are uneven in those fairways. And when you have a wedge that’s 6 iron length and the balls above your feet, like, it’s hard to choke down and adjust to that.”
Advertisement
It’s been a ciritsm lobbied at DeChamnbeau for a number of years now due to his poor showings at The Open Championship. When conditions are perfect he’s one of the best in the game, but he’s shown a complete inability to adapt when things get tough.
Johnson Wagner says LIV Golf uncertainty is affecting Bryson DeChambeau
It’s been a difficult few weeks for LIV Golf and its players to say the least. Reports emerged that the Saudi Public Investment Fund are withdrawing support for the league from next season, leaving DeChambeau’s future in serious doubt.
He was seen speaking to PGA Tour officials to discuss his future, has also said he’s committed to making LIV Golf work, and added that he’s willing to do YouTube full time. DeChambeau’s head is cleary in a million different places, and Wagner says that’s affecting his golf:
Advertisement
“There’s so many outside factors going on with a handful of these guys too. Where am I going to play? What am I going to do? And I just, I don’t think it’s a full tear down. I mean, it is concerning. It’s very concerning.
“And you would think that the PGA is probably the best setup other than the US Open. I don’t know that I love him on a Shinnecock. He played Winged Foot well. Obviously, Pinehurst is a little bit different, but yeah, it’s concerning, but it’s not working.”
If the wind dies down for his second round DeChambeau may have a chance to make a charge, but this is not a good sign for the rest of his eyar as he looks to negotiate his way back to the PGA Tour.
Read the full article here
