Rex Hoggard explained why Bryson DeChambeau may struggle at The Open Championship.
Hoggard said that DeChambeau is missing something that Rory McIlroy has, which will prevent him from competing at The Open. The two-time major winner is one of golf’s most popular stars but does not have a good record outside of the States.
DeChambeau’s game is not well-suited to links courses, and Hoggard explained why.
Rex Hoggard says Bryson DeChambeau is not the “artist” that Rory McIlroy is, and will struggle at The Open
Hoggard, speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, said that DeChambeau is too much of a scientist to deal with the variables of links courses such as Royal Portrush.
He said, “This is more art than science. He’s never going to allow himself to be the artist that Rory McIlroy wants to be.
“Bryson wants the constants. He wants the repeatable swing. He wants to say, ‘I’m going to hit this nine-iron 165 yards. Not 166, not 164, 165 yards. He wants that in his life. Every part of his game, he wants to be that.
“Links golf is all about variables. It’s going to be the bad bounce, it’s going to be the wind gusts, it’s going to be the wrong side of the draw. Whatever it is that’s going to catch you off guard, and it’s the player, by and large, that rolls with those bad bounces that ends up on top.
“If you’re Bryson, and you allow that bad bounce to get to you and it affects your next shot, it just snowballs.”
While LIV Golf and YouTube star DeChambeau is famed for his long-hitting style, that won’t play too much to his advantage at The Open, which requires precision and adaptability.
But analytical players have had success in this competition. Phil Mickelson won the 2013 Open after playing what he described as “by far the best round I’ve ever played” to make a 10-shot comeback on the final day.
Hoggard recounted that day as evidence that one day DeChambeau can win this tournament.
“I’m not saying that Bryson can never be a contender here, because I always go back to the year Phil Mickelson won at Muirfield.”
Mickelson learned from his GOAT, Tiger Woods, to adapt his game. He worked with Woods’ coach Butch Harmon, which led to the most successful period of his career from 2008 onwards.
If he is willing, DeChambeau may need to make similar adjustments to his game to win this prestigious competition.
Bryson DeChambeau’s middling record at The Open Championship
In seven appearances at The Open Championship, DeChambeau has not been able to assert his dominance over the course as he did twice at the US Open. He has only one top-10 finish in 2022 at Royal Liverpool and has missed the cut three times, including last year at Royal Troon.
The American has consistently struggled on the slower greens of links courses, having become accustomed to the pristine surfaces of the US majors. His power becomes irrelevant, since these courses require an ability to use the contours of the course and feed the ball towards the hole.
DeChambeau recognised the importance of accuracy this weekend, and revealed his planned approach before the tournament.
He said he needs to, “Just try to be as strategic as possible and put the ball in a place where I can give myself good chances for birdie, but also not give myself too many difficult places to play from is the goal.”
Let’s see if he can roll with the punches of Royal Portrush.