Charlotte, North Carolina – The Return of Bryson DeChambeau
It looks like Bryson DeChambeau is regaining his major championship form. Over the last couple of years, his performance in majors has been noteworthy. After finishing fifth in the Masters last month, he was the runner-up in the PGA last year, came in sixth in this year’s Masters, and clinched the US Open title.
This week, despite a rather average opening round, he bounced back with a solid 68 on Friday, positioning himself just five shots behind the current leader, Jonattan Vegas, as they head into the weekend.
“I just need to keep doing my thing,” he mentioned thoughtfully. “I definitely feel like a 65 or 64 is possible. I almost had it today, just didn’t quite get there.” It’s clear he’s finding his rhythm again.
Other Highlights from the Tournament
Si Woo Kim made waves on Friday with a hole-in-one at the 250-yard par-3 sixth hole, moving from 3 under to 5 under par, putting him just three shots behind the lead.
On the flip side, Hideki Matsuyama’s impressive streak of 19 consecutive majors came to an abrupt end as he finished three over par, failing to make the cut. Patrick Cantlay also struggled and will join Joe Highsmith this weekend, who had his struggles as well.
Dustin Johnson had a tough week, finishing 12 over par. In fact, he performed worse than 11 of the 20 club professionals in the field. It’s hard to not feel for him—he hasn’t participated in a major since 2020.
Phil Mickelson finished nine over, after an opening round of 79 followed by a 72. It’s worth noting that during a decent stretch on Friday, he hit a snag with a surprising double bogey on the 12th hole.
The Emotional Roller Coaster
Frustration was evident among some players. Tyrrell Hutton, known for his temperament, was caught on camera muttering expletives after a bad shot on the 18th. He later admitted, “I do have my moments where I say the wrong things. Just part of the game, I suppose.”
Shane Lowry had his own mishap, hitting a chunk on the 8th hole, which caused him to vent his frustration vocally—he wasn’t happy with how his ball was resting in the fairway.
Meanwhile, Adam Hadwin found himself in such a bad spot on the course that he texted his wife mid-round to book a flight home, realizing that making the cut was out of reach.
Lastly, Richard Brand, a 52-year-old player from the LIV Golf series, impressed by being 3 under par. This marks the sixth occurrence of a player over 50 hitting below 3 under at the PGA Championship. Mathieu Pavon also made headlines with a personal best round of 6 under 65.
