Bryson DeChambeau delivered a pointed response to Sir Nick Faldo's scathing criticism at The Open Championship, using a subtle comment to fire back at the six-time major champion. This came before the American found himself at the centre of fresh controversy on Friday for a rules violation.
The LIV Golf star declined to speak to television rights holders or pass through the mixed zone following his opening 67, instead retreating to the players' lounge. However, he spoke to the R&A's in-house media team, where he seized the opportunity to respond to Faldo in pointed fashion.
Faldo's Criticism and DeChambeau's Response
Faldo had laid into DeChambeau earlier in the week on Sky Sports, claiming the LIV man had 'no strategy' ahead of his opening round. DeChambeau, 32, lost no time in hitting back through his own assessment of his round. He was not directly questioned about Faldo's remarks, yet managed to deliver his response in his own inimitable way.
In an unmistakable reply to the 'strategy' jibe, DeChambeau said: 'I think you've got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course. I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.'
Two-Shot Penalty on Friday
The tactics weren't quite so effective on Friday when DeChambeau was served a two-shot penalty at the par-four fifth hole at Royal Birkdale. He was adjudged to have trampled on the grass surrounding his ball to give himself a better lie. The punishment saw his one-over-par five turn into a triple bogey instead, a decision he dubbed 'disappointing' on social media. As a result, he went into the weekend on five-under overall, three strokes off the top of the leaderboard.
Playing with Scottie Scheffler
DeChambeau played his opening round alongside fellow LIV man Tyrrell Hatton and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler. He was refreshingly candid about the lessons he gleaned from the experience. 'It was fun playing with Scottie, seeing how good he strikes the ball,' he said. 'That's something - I've wanted to play with him for a while now. Seeing how he struck the ball today was beautiful. Makes me think, 'Oh, man, I've got to work on my driving and 3-wood a little bit better because I hit it farther than him,' but it sometimes doesn't go straight. It's a good gauge, right? It tells me kind of where my game's at. Also shows me where he's at. It's good to see it in person. You always see it on TV, but it's just a little different sometimes when you're right there.'
