Sir Nick Faldo believes Bryson DeChambeau has “no idea of strategy” when it comes to golf.
DeChambeau hopes to end his unwanted run of misses in his last three major championship starts with victory at The Open at Royal Birkdale this week.
Despite his failures at the PGA Championship, The Masters and the US Open this year, DeChambeau had a great season at LIV Golf, winning LIV Golf Singapore and LIV Golf South Africa in March.
At last year’s Open Championship, the American longshot finished tied for 10th but endured a difficult first round at Royal Portrush in which he shot a seven-over-par 78 that left him struggling to make it to the second day.
The two-time US Open champion attempted a more aggressive strategy in his first round, declaring before the tournament that his “driver will be the key” to victory over Royal Portrush, a tactic that raised some eyebrows.
Faldo, who has won three Open Championships, two at Muirfield and one at the Old Course at St Andrews, believes a more conservative plan is needed to conquer Royal Birkdale this week.
“I would say it to his face: DeChambeau has no sense of strategy,” Faldo told reporters. Sky Sports Golf Podcast.
“Last year he said, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the lines.’ Well, I’ve never attacked a flight. You’re laying them out, aren’t you? You guide them down the fairway.
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“You look at the bumps and unevenness. If I send him and feed him, he returns to the game. You don’t think, “Oh, I’ll just blow it up there. I don’t see where I’m going.” The fairway is 20 yards wide.
“Good luck! Even if you hit it fantastically and it lands on the corner of the hole, you can still miss it in the fairway.
“So you have to think, ‘How can I achieve this on short grass?’ This is so important.”
Faldo explained that players need to work backwards from the green, thinking about how to attack each hole in golf.
“I used to always look out for all the descents because you don’t have to hit the driver. You can spin your 1-iron or your 3-wood.
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The American is hoping to end his unwanted run of misses in his last three major starts.
“You hit him on the slope, he goes forward and you get an extra 30 yards of run.
“There is no need to put any pressure on yourself to hit the fairway with your driver. You just have to think like that. That’s the priority when playing golf.”
DeChambeau uses new 3D printed putters
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DeChambeau is well known for his painstaking and analytical pursuit of greater distance.
DeChambeau is known as the “Mad Scientist” for his analytical approach to working with his equipment and his ability to travel long distances.
The 32-year-old, who has previously used 3D printed irons, is set to use a brand new set at Royal Birkdale as he looks to win his third major championship.
“It’s a challenging golf course, I love it,” DeChambeau said. Live on the training ground on Monday. “It really tests every aspect of your game.
“I have new irons in my bag. They were 3D printed. It takes about an hour to print them. From machining, printing and all other processes we carry out.
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Two-time US Open champion questioned about using 3D-printed irons at Masters
“My irons are fine; They spin more consistently on uneven surfaces. This is a new set of irons with different grooves. We’ve already sent them to the USGA.”
After taking to YouTube last month to express disappointment with his performance at the US Open, the American rider is optimistic about his chances this week.
“On a track like this, if I feel good, I know I can give myself a chance,” he said. “I know I didn’t have the best results this year, but I won twice and finished in the top three three times. There are just a couple of strange things that happen at major tournaments.
“If everything goes well for me this week, great. If not, I’ll keep moving forward and create as much as I can.”
Faldo: Scheffler’s grief at Scottish Open won’t matter
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Faldo said Scotty Scheffler won’t be bothered by his miss at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Scotty Scheffler is set to defend his Golf Champion of the Year title this week at Royal Birkdale, but he comes into the week off the back of a miss at this weekend’s Genesis Scottish Open – his first in 78 starts.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Faldo said, reflecting on Scheffler’s premature exit from the Genesis Scottish Open.
“He actually lit a little spark underneath him and thought, ‘I don’t need this.’
“He’ll probably like the conditions because if the weather gets hard, fast and windy, good shots won’t hit the green.
He added, “And as we know, Scheffler is literally the best at chipping and putting.”
When will The Open be live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sport is once again the exclusive venue for The Open in the UK and Ireland, with the final men’s major of the year getting underway on Thursday at 6.30am. Sky Sport Golf.
Both the first two rounds will have at least 15 hours of action, and bonus channels are available at Sky Sport+ or Sky Sports appwith extended coverage starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.
Read the full interview with Sir Nick Faldo and Nick Dougherty in the latest issue of the magazine. Sky Sports Golf Podcasthosted by Jamie Weir as the panel also discusses Scotty Scheffler’s chances at the Open, Rory McIlroy’s playing schedule and Matt Fitzpatrick’s great season.. Get Sky Sports or streaming without a contract.
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