Bryson DeChambeau shot a 3-under 67 during the first round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale on July 16, 2026, marking his best round in any major this year and his first under par score in six major rounds in 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The 32-year-old started strong with back-to-back birdies and added three more on the back nine but bogeyed the 18th hole [1, 2, 3].

DeChambeau was paired with last year’s Open champion Scottie Scheffler, who shot a 68, and Tyrrell Hatton, who carded a 69; DeChambeau outscored both [1, 2, 3]. Despite hitting only 5 of 14 fairways, he ranked second in strokes gained off the tee during the round [3]. Playing partner Tyrrell Hatton praised DeChambeau’s ball flight and shot quality, saying, "He flights the ball great. His ball flight today was really good. He didn’t really hit many bad shots" [2].

The strong showing answered critics who had questioned DeChambeau’s strategy on the course. Nick Faldo had said DeChambeau had "zero clue of strategy" before the tournament [3]. DeChambeau said, "I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today" [2]. He added, "It was a hard-fought battle out there. The wind was switching quite a bit. It was fun seeing the fans going at us, and they were rooting for all of us" [1].

Earlier in 2026, DeChambeau had missed the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship, and U.S. Open majors [3, 1, 2]. This round at Royal Birkdale is his best attempt to rebound in a major after a difficult first half of the year [3]. DeChambeau used 3D-printed irons during the round [1, 2].

Last year at the British Open, DeChambeau overcame a poor opening round 78 to finish tied for 10th place [1, 2]. He has suggested he might focus on YouTube golf content and potentially not return to the PGA Tour if LIV Golf ceases operations, a direction some analysts like Brandel Chamblee have criticized, saying DeChambeau is focusing more on outdoing YouTubers than other professionals [3].

DeChambeau’s challenge now is to build on his July 16 performance and move up the leaderboard in the days ahead at Royal Birkdale.