Bryson DeChambeau's dismal Open record exposed after verbal attack from Sir Nick Faldo

Bryson DeChambeau has faced more struggles at the Open Championship than any other golf major amid strong criticism from Sir Nick Faldo.

Three-time Open winner Faldo accused DeChambeau of having "zero clue of strategy" when it comes to competing in links golf tournaments ahead of the 2026 Open getting underway on Thursday.

"He said it last year: 'I'm going to go out and attack the links'," Faldo told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. "Well, I've never attacked a links.

"You thread it, don't you? You feed it down the fairway. You look at humps and bumps. If I send it over and feed it, it nudges back into play.

"You don't think: 'Oh, I'll just blast it down there. Can't see where I'm going'. The fairway is 20 yards wide. Good luck. Even if you hit it fantastic and it lands on the corner of a divot, you might still miss the fairway.

"So you've got to think, 'How do I get it on the short grass?' It's so important."

"There's no need to put yourself under pressure to hit the fairway with your driver," he added. "You've just got to think like that. That's the priority when playing links golf."

DeChambeau is a two-time golf major winner, with both of his previous victories having come at the US Open.

He won at Winged Foot and Pinehurst in 2020 and 2024 respectively, but neither are traditional links courses.

At the PGA Championship, meanwhile, the American has finished in the top five in three of the last four years, including second-placed results in 2023 and 2024. He missed the cut this year, however.

READ MORE: Bryson DeChambeau reveals unthinkable plans in case LIV Golf collapses

But it is in The Open where, compared to the other majors, he has struggled more consistently.

Bryson DeChambeau's Open record analysed

DeChambeau entered his first Open in 2017, failing to make the cut at Royal Birkdale - the course which is hosting this year's event.

In 2018, he made the cut for the first time but could only finish in 58th.

He missed the cut again in 2019, before finishing in a tie for 33rd when the competition was next held in 2021.

In 2022, he finished in the top 10 at the Open for the first time in his career when he was tied for eighth, but his next two years saw results of tied-60th and another missed cut.

Last year, though, will offer DeChambeau some encouragement, as he ranked in a tie for 10th place at Royal Portrush.

That finish came despite the American shooting a horror first round of 78, leaving him at seven-over-par.

• 2017 - Missed cut
• 2018 - T51
• 2019 - Missed cut
• 2021 - T33
• 2022 - T8
• 2023 - T60
• 2024 - Missed cut
• 2025 - T10

What has Bryson DeChambeau said ahead of The Open?

DeChambeau previewed his latest Open campaign in an interview with the under-threat LIV Golf, a series which he has competed in since 2023.

While there have been suggestions that playing on LIV has impacted other players when it comes to majors, DeChambeau has been an exception, having recorded six top-10 finishes since the start of 2024.

But he is bidding to avoid the unwanted statistic of having missed all four cuts in majors this season, having already headed home early from the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship events.

At the Masters, he debuted special 3D-printed irons.

"I would say that Open Championship golf is different, in the fact that you try to control the uncontrollable," he said. "Which is wind, or bounce, or slopes that are sometimes difficult to judge from 200 yards away.

"The US Open's a little more consistent in that regard. But Open Championship golf is the roots and traditions of the game of golf. So there's a lot of respect and tradition to that type of championship.

"I think that's what's so brilliant about it, is having those two different types of tests. The Open Championship is going to demand a different type of resilience, a different type of strategy, a different type of grit than the US Open provides.

"I'm an American, and I grew up playing US Open golf courses. Going over and playing links golf... it's grown on me. It's definitely come to a place where I've learned to respect it, and appreciate the different type of test."