On the track, DeChambeau rarely does anything conventional.
Whether it’s using single-length clubs, building up his body, or switching to LIV Golf, he’s known for his idiosyncratic approach that polarizes perception.
On Friday afternoon at Royal Birkdale – before all the post-round chaos – DeChambeau bucked the trend again.
The two-time major champion made mincemeat of the rising afternoon wind to enter contention in a tournament few thought he could win.
Earlier this week, three-time Open champion Nick Faldo – the last Englishman to win the Claret Jug back in 1992 – insisted DeChambeau had little chance of winning on Merseyside.
Why? “He has no – and I would say this to his face – no sense of strategy,” Faldo told Sky Sports.
DeChambeau had previously demonstrated the attitude that he could simply beat the courses, which led Faldo to believe that he was all brawn and no brains.
He didn’t help change that perception at this year’s Masters. He boasted that he was able to beat Augusta National and ended up returning home at the halfway point after the course had backed off a bit.
Further missed cuts followed at the US PGA Championship and US Open, leaving DeChambeau arriving at Birkdale keen to avoid becoming the first multiple major winner to miss all four cuts since 1990.
After a first-round score of 67, DeChambeau declined to speak to the media, but in a brief interview with Open organizers, he spoke three times about his “strategy.”
It wasn’t subtle. On Friday, his golf spoke.
Former European Tour winner Andrew Murray, who accompanied DeChambeau throughout the route on BBC Radio 5 Live, was impressed by his patience and sensible approach.
“He tried to beat the field at times, but what was most impressive was his short game. He played very coherently. And he has the game to win, no doubt about it,” Murray said.