Sir Nick Faldo believes Bryson DeChambeau has “zero clue of strategy” when it comes to playing links golf.
DeChambeau is looking to end his unwanted run of missing the cut in his last three starts at the major championships with a big finish at The Open at Royal Birkdale this week.
Despite his woes at this year’s PGA Championship, The Masters and the US Open, DeChambeau has enjoyed a great season on LIV Golf, winning both LIV Golf Singapore and LIV Golf South Africa in March.
At last year’s Open Championship, the American long driver finished tied for 10th, but endured a tough opening round at Royal Portrush, in which he shot a seven-over par 78, that left him scrambling to make the cut on day two.
The two-time US Open champion had attempted to take a more aggressive strategy in his opening round, stating prior to the tournament that his “driver would be key” to conquering Royal Portrush, a tactic that raised eyebrows among some.
Faldo, who won three Open Championships, two at Muirfield and one at the Old Course at St Andrews, believes a more conservative plan is required to conquer Royal Birkdale this week.
“I’d say it to his face – DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy,” Faldo told the Sky Sports Golf podcast.
“He said last year: ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway.
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“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 is so important.”
Faldo explained players need to work backwards from the green when plotting out how to attack each hole in links golf.
“I always used to look for all the downslopes because you don’t have to hit the driver. You can twang your 1-iron or a 3-wood.
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The American is looking to end his unwanted streak of having missed three cuts in his last three major starts
“You hit it on the downslope, it scoots forward, you get an extra 30 yards of run.
“There’s no need to put yourself under pressure to hit the fairway with your driver. You’ve just got to think like that. That’s the priority when playing links golf.”
DeChambeau using new 3D-printed clubs
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DeChambeau is well known for his meticulous and analytical pursuit of more distance
DeChambeau is known as the ‘Mad Scientist’ for his analytical approach to tinkering with his equipment and his swing in a bid for greater distance.
The 32-year-old, who has previously used 3D-printed irons, is set to deploy a brand-new set at Royal Birkdale as he looks to win his third major championship.
“This is a tough golf course; I like it,” DeChambeau told Live At The Range on Monday. “It really tests every facet of your game.
“I’ve got new irons in the bag. They were 3D-printed. They take about an hour to print. From machining and printing and all the different processes we make.
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The two-time US Open champion was questioned about using 3D-printed irons at The Masters
“It’s cool with my irons; they’re spinning out of the rough more consistently. It’s a new set of irons with different grooves. We’ve already sent them to the USGA.”
After taking to YouTube last month to express his disappointment at his performance at the US Open, the American long driver is optimistic about his chances this week.
“On a course like this, if I feel good I know I can give myself a chance,” he said. “I know I haven’t had the best results this year, but I’ve won twice, and top-three’d three times. Just a couple of weird things happening at the majors.
“If it goes well for me this week, great. If it doesn’t, I’ll keep moving on and creating as much as I can.”
Faldo: Scheffler’s Scottish Open woe won’t matter
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Faldo said Scottie Scheffler will not be bothered by his missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler is out to defend his title as the Champion Golfer of the Year this week at Royal Birkdale, but he comes into the week off the back of a missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open this weekend – his first in 78 starts.
“It means nothing,” Faldo said, reflecting on Scheffler’s premature exit at the Genesis Scottish Open.
“He’d actually light a little spark under it and think: ‘I didn’t need that’.
“He will probably love the conditions, because if it gets firm, fast and windy, good shots are going to miss the green. Everybody’s going to miss a lot of greens. Look at all these bumpy run-offs.”
He added: “And as we know, Scheffler is literally the best at chipping and putting.”
When is The Open live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open in the UK and Ireland, with wall-to-wall action from the final men’s major of the year gets under way at 6.30am on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf.
There will be at least 15 hours of action on both the first two rounds, with bonus feeds available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App, with extended coverage then starting at 9am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.
Listen to the full interview with Sir Nick Faldo and Nick Dougherty in the latest edition of the Sky Sports Golf podcast, hosted by Jamie Weir, as the group also discuss Scottie Scheffler’s Open chances, Rory McIlroy’s playing schedule and Matt Fitzpatrick’s excellent season. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.
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