Bryson DeChambeau said earlier this week that the back nine at Royal Troon had some teeth.
The front nine seemed to take that personally.
DeChambeau, who just a few weeks ago won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, put himself well off the pace Thursday morning at The Open by going out in 6-over 42 with four bogeys, a double bogey and no birdies. He hit just three of Royal Troon’s greens and four fairways, battling a two-way miss in a wind that was the complete opposite of the forecast, coming in and off the right for the usually easier starting stretch.
DeChambeau’s final major of the year began with a three-putt from 38 feet, with DeChambeau missing a 5-footer for his par on the opening hole. Two holes later, DeChambeau tugged his tee ball well left before finding the back fringe and later missing a 7-footer for par.
He played the par-5s in 3 over, sending his second shot into the left rough and then missing the green from 69 yards before a whiffed 3-footer at No. 4, and making even more of a mess of the 620-yard sixth hole. At No. 6, DeChambeau second shot from the thick stuff traveled just 4 yards. He then opted to hit down the 13th hole and later couldn’t save bogey from 7 feet.
DeChambeau’s last dropped shot on the opening nine came at the par-3 eighth, the Postage Stamp, where he missed the green by about 20 yards right and then missed a 14-footer for par.
It could’ve been worse, too, as DeChambeau got up and down from 30 yards left of the green at the par-3 fifth.
When DeChambeau made the turn, he was beating just five players.