Bryson’s Big Bounce Back: From 78 to 65 at The Open Championship originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Sometimes golf is cruel. Sometimes it’s beautiful. And sometimes, if you’re Bryson DeChambeau, it’s both in 24 hours.
After trudging off Royal Portrush on Thursday evening with a soul-crushing 78 that featured zero birdies, DeChambeau did something remarkable Friday. He didn’t just bounce back — he soared.
The 15th-ranked player fired a stunning 6-under 65 in the second round of The Open Championship. The round featured seven birdies against one bogey, a stark contrast to Thursday’s nightmare of three bogeys and two double-bogeys.
“I woke up this morning, and I said, ‘You know what? I can’t give up,'” DeChambeau said. “I was proud of the way I fought back.”
The 13-shot improvement tells only part of the story. After missing 28% of fairways and hitting 39% of greens Thursday, DeChambeau found his rhythm Friday, hitting over half his fairways and all but one green. Yet he insisted his play wasn’t dramatically different.
“I’ve played the same as I did yesterday. That’s links golf for you,” he said. “I executed pretty much the same shots as I did yesterday. I didn’t feel like I played any different. Today they just kind of went more my way.
My wedges were just a fraction better, and that was really it. Made a couple more putts. There wasn’t much different. That’s why links golf is the way links golf is.”
That’s the maddening beauty of links golf, where millimeters and wind gusts separate glory from despair. DeChambeau, whose aerial game has historically struggled with the ground-based artistry required at the Open, has learned this lesson the hard way.
Sitting at 1-over through 36 holes, DeChambeau cleared the cut line by a shot, with the projected cut at 2-over as of late Friday. It’s a far cry from Thursday evening, when a missed cut seemed inevitable.
The Open has been DeChambeau’s major nemesis. In seven previous appearances, he’s managed one top-10 finish — a tie for eighth in 2022 — and missed the cut three times. Last year’s missed cut at Royal Troon was particularly stinging, coming after his dramatic U.S. Open victory at Pinehurst.
“In order to be a complete golfer, you’ve got to win over here. That’s something I’ve struggled to do,” DeChambeau acknowledged. “I’ve played well at times when it’s dry and greens are more consistent in their bounce and the greens are a little bit better. But when it gets as chaotic as this, with the wind going every which way, flipping on 18 completely, when you’re preparing all day for that left-to-right wind off 18, you have to be a complete golfer that pivots on demand.”
Friday’s conditions were among the most benign Royal Portrush has offered through two rounds, and DeChambeau took full advantage. The round represents more than just a score — it’s validation that his major championship form remains elite despite his move to LIV Golf in early 2022.
Since that controversial defection, DeChambeau has remarkably reinvented himself. The once-polarizing figure has become one of golf’s most popular players, building a massive YouTube and social media following while continuing to contend in golf’s biggest events.
Like many golf fans, I’m rooting for DeChambeau now, though that wasn’t always the case. He’s grown on me over the past year and a half, transforming from a divisive figure into someone genuinely likeable and entertaining to watch.
His major championship resume since joining LIV speaks volumes: a tie for sixth at last year’s Masters; a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship; that epic U.S. Open triumph at Pinehurst; a tie for fifth at this year’s Masters; and another runner-up showing at the PGA. The only blemish was last month’s missed cut at the U.S. Open.
“I really persevered through some emotionally difficult moments,” DeChambeau said of Friday’s round. “And to hold myself together and not get pissed and slam clubs and throw things and all that like I wanted to, like I was very proud of myself.”
With two rounds remaining at Royal Portrush, DeChambeau has positioned himself for the kind of weekend that could finally crack the code on links golf and add the missing piece to his major championship collection.
Related: The Open Championship, Day 1: The Quiet Brilliance of Matt Fitzpatrick
Related: Cheers to the Old Guys: Veterans Show Up on Day 1 at The Open Championship
Related: Why I’m Not Getting Cute with My Open Championship Picks
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Read the full article here
