Authentic Bryson DeChambeau Reflects on Diabolical Day at U.S. Open

Bryson DeChambeau candidly shared his experiences after an arduous opening round at the 124th U.S. Open, highlighting the relentless challenges posed by Pinehurst No. 2.

DeChambeau fired an impressive 3-under 67 to kick off his tournament, placing him among the 15 players who finished under par on Thursday. Despite his solid performance, he did not shy away from expressing the mental toll the day had taken on him.

“It’s really diabolical out there,” DeChambeau remarked, describing the course conditions. “Those greens, oh, my gosh, they can get away from you.”

The 2020 U.S. Open champion’s round included four birdies and a single bogey on his 16th hole, the par-4 7th. His performance was highlighted by leading the field in strokes gained off the tee, with a gain of 2.85 strokes, and ranking eighth in strokes gained around the greens, adding 2.17 strokes on his competitors. Overall, he successfully hit 15 of 18 greens and found 12 of 14 fairways, leaving him just two shots behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay.

DeChambeau’s round gained momentum with a birdie on the 13th hole, followed by a remarkable chip-in for birdie on the 18th, his ninth hole of the day. He continued to perform well, notching two more birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes, both par-4s, before a bogey on the 7th hole disrupted his bid for a bogey-free round. Despite this, he expressed satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging the mentally demanding nature of the day.

“From a mental exhaustion perspective, this was probably the most difficult day I’ve had in a long, long, long time,” DeChambeau reflected. “I can’t remember the last time I exerted myself so much mentally to focus on hitting the fatter parts of the green instead of going for flags. I did that quite nicely until the last few holes.”

As he prepares for Friday’s round, DeChambeau is confident in his ability to recover both mentally and physically, aiming to build on his strong start in the tournament.