Bryson DeChambeau arrives at Royal Birkdale with the pressure of a season that has drifted badly off course in the majors. The 2 time U.S. Open champion missed the cut at Augusta National, then missed again at the PGA Championship at Aronimink, and followed that with another early exit at Shinnecock Hills. It is the first time in his career that he has opened a year by missing the weekend in the first 3 majors. That is why this Open feels different. The question is no longer whether DeChambeau can contend. It is whether he can steady himself before the slump reaches all 4 majors in the same season.
Royal Birkdale Hits The Weak Spot In His Open Record
Speaking on the Golf on CBS Podcast, Johnson Wagner did not leave much room for doubt. He said DeChambeau was his pick to miss the cut and argued that Royal Birkdale is a poor fit for the way he plays. Wagner’s point was not just about recent form. It was about style. Royal Birkdale asks players to flight the ball low, accept conservative targets, and keep control when the wind starts moving across the dunes. DeChambeau is most dangerous when he can launch the driver, hit towering approaches, and turn power into short birdie chances. This course often asks for the opposite.
That concern carries extra weight because DeChambeau’s Open record has never fully matched his reputation. He missed the cut at Royal Birkdale in 2017. He missed again at Royal Portrush in 2019 and at Royal Troon in 2024. His best finish in this championship remains a tie for 8th at St Andrews in 2022. He did recover from an opening 78 to finish tied for 10th at Royal Portrush last year, which showed he can still find answers in this event. Even so, his history in The Open keeps pointing to the same issue. When the test becomes about patience, trajectory, and control rather than force, he has looked less comfortable than his broader resume would suggest.
The Major Slide Has Changed The Stakes Of This Week
DeChambeau’s recent results explain why Wagner’s prediction has landed so hard. At Augusta National, he stood near the cut line before a closing triple bogey on Friday ended his week. Aronimink brought another missed cut at 7 over. Shinnecock Hills made it 3 in a row after rounds of 70 and 75 left him 2 shots short of the weekend. Those are not isolated stumbles spread across different seasons. They have come one after another, and they have turned a familiar contender into one of the biggest question marks in the field.
The slide looks even stranger when set beside the rest of his year. DeChambeau won LIV Golf Singapore in March and followed that by winning LIV Golf South Africa the next week in a playoff against Jon Rahm. Those victories showed that his best golf is still there. They also sharpened the contrast between the player who can dominate on one stage and the player who keeps leaving major championships on Friday. Royal Birkdale now sits in the middle of that split. It offers no easy route back because links golf rarely gives free momentum to a player searching for it.
What DeChambeau Has To Prove At Royal Birkdale
This week is not really about whether DeChambeau still has elite talent. That part is beyond debate. The more important issue is whether he can play the kind of golf Royal Birkdale demands. He may need to choose 4 iron over driver, aim away from tucked flags, and accept pars rather than chase shots that are not available. Those decisions can feel small in the moment, but they often decide who survives an Open and who does not. For DeChambeau, they may decide whether this championship becomes a reset or the harshest chapter of his major season.
That is what gives the week its edge. Royal Birkdale is a difficult place to rebuild confidence because the course punishes impatience so quickly. DeChambeau does not need to win this championship to change the conversation around his season. He does need to look composed, controlled, and present for the weekend. If he does that, the story shifts. If he does not, Wagner’s warning will stop sounding provocative and start sounding obvious.
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FAQs
Q: Why is Bryson DeChambeau under pressure at Royal Birkdale?
A: He has missed the cut in the first 3 majors of 2026. Royal Birkdale is a difficult Open venue, so the pressure is higher this week.
Q: Has Bryson DeChambeau ever played well at The Open?
A: Yes. He tied for 8th at St Andrews in 2022 and tied for 10th at Royal Portrush in 2025.
Q: Why does Royal Birkdale look like a tough fit for Bryson?
A: The course rewards control, patience, and precise ball flight in the wind more than pure power.
Q: What did Johnson Wagner predict for Bryson at The Open?
A: On the Golf on CBS Podcast, Wagner said DeChambeau was his pick to miss the cut at Royal Birkdale.
Q: What makes Bryson’s season hard to read right now?
A: He won back to back LIV events in Singapore and South Africa, but he still missed the cut in the first 3 majors.
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