TROON, Scotland — A month ago, they battled it out until the final 72nd hole of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst.
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy were in survival mode all day on Thursday in the first round of the British Open, both in danger of missing the cut at Royal Troon.
It was a blow to McIlroy’s 38th attempt at his first major championship in a decade. McIlroy, who last won a major in 2014, finished with a seven-over 77 to place 132nd out of 158 players in the field.
DeChambeau, who beat McIlroy to win the U.S. Open title last month, didn’t perform much better, shooting a five-over 75.
DeChambeau finished the first six holes in five-over par to turn in 42. He managed to salvage his round with an eagle-3 on the par-5 16th hole and then earned pars on the 17th and 18th holes.
“It’s frustrating, but at the end of the day, it’s golf,” DeChambeau said. “We’ll figure it out. I’m proud of how I persevered today. Man, I probably would have given up after nine holes and said, ‘I’m going home.'”
“But I have a chance tomorrow and I’m looking forward to trying. If I can make some putts, hit some shots my way and figure out how to use the equipment, I’ll be OK.”
McIlroy’s round began with a bogey on the first hole, a double bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, Post Stamp, and then he hit a shot onto the railroad tracks on the 11th hole to completely ruin his day.
He had just one birdie that round, on the third hole.
This was no way to forget the memorable ending at Pinehurst, where he missed short putts on two of the final three holes, giving DeChambeau the opportunity to make a charge.
“It was a difficult day,” McIlroy said after the match. “I felt like I was doing okay in the first half of the round, but then I missed the green on ‘Post Stamp,’ left it on the green and it gave me a double hole.”
He was par through seven holes before making a double par on the eighth hole.
Both players lamented the problem was that the wind was blowing in a different direction on Thursday than it had been in while practicing all week.
“I think if anything, the conditions were just bad with the crosswinds,” McIlroy said. “When you play a practice round like that, you have strategies that you think will help you get around the golf course. But when you get winds that you’ve never played in before, it gives you different options and you start thinking about hitting some clubs that you didn’t hit in practice.”
“It was just one of those days where I just couldn’t adapt to the situation.”
DeChambeau, known as a kind of mad scientist trying to figure out and control every possible variable, called Thursday’s test a “completely different test” because the winds were blowing in a different direction.
“I haven’t practiced at all and I haven’t played much in the rain,” he said. “It’s a tough test here and I’m not used to it. I didn’t grow up playing golf. I was eighth at St. Andrews (the 2022 Open). As long as it’s warm and not windy I can play.”
Now both players face the daunting task of posting low scores to make the 36-hole cut on Friday.
“I’m going to figure it out,” DeChambeau vowed. “I felt like my swing was going okay, but the ball just wasn’t where I normally see it. It was a weird day.”
“My only focus is trying to make the cut tomorrow,” McIlroy said. “That’s all I can focus on. Just trying to come out and play better and have a good weekend here. The conditions are looking to be pretty similar tomorrow.”
“I’ve got to play better in these conditions. I’ve got to play better and get under par and at least be here for the weekend, or at least get a little higher on the leaderboard and feel like I have a half a chance.”
