Royal Birkdale: Bryson DeChambeau opts against media interviews at The Open Championship

By Mason Reed — 17 July 2026 — 4 min read

DeChambeau’s Media Approach at The Open

At the 154th Open Championship in Southport, England, golfer Bryson DeChambeau chose not to speak with reporters after completing one of the day’s notable rounds at Royal Birkdale. An official from the R&A informed the media of DeChambeau’s decision. This marks a continuation of a pattern of silence from the golfer at major championships, which reportedly began after a first-round score at the Masters on April 9, and has occurred without a clear explanation.

Despite his decision not to engage with the general press, DeChambeau did respond to questions from an R&A official. He also participated in a brief video interview for the R&A’s official media channels. This selective engagement suggests a controlled approach to public communication.

DeChambeau’s choice to avoid media interviews at Royal Birkdale followed recent criticism from prominent golf commentators and former players, Nick Faldo and Brandel Chamblee. These critics had commented on DeChambeau’s tactical weaknesses in the days leading up to the tournament. DeChambeau’s responses to the R&A indicated he may have been aware of these criticisms.

Over the years, DeChambeau has been a figure of varied public perception, often described as either a hero or a villain, a genius or a dolt. His career has spanned two professional tours and includes two major championship victories. His public image has been shaped by various events, including a high-profile bullying incident, numerous protein shakes, and millions of views on YouTube.

Control and Public Image

A consistent aspect of DeChambeau’s career has been his desire for control. This is evident in his intense demeanor on the course, his unique equipment setup, and his use of medieval training aids. When he does speak to the media, his explanations often focus on his pursuit of total control over his golf ball, sometimes incorporating concepts from artificial intelligence, physics, or even soaking golf balls in Epsom salt to find their gravitational center. He has also mentioned considering learning languages like Russian or Arabic.

Off the course, DeChambeau’s meticulous approach extends to his role as a content creator and YouTuber. His online presence is carefully managed by a team of creative producers dedicated to enhancing his personal brand. This platform allows him to control his narrative and image, which he appears to value highly.

DeChambeau seems to understand the power of his large online audience. This audience allows him to bypass traditional media channels, enabling him to address topics like missed cuts directly through his own content, thereby controlling the context and avoiding potential misinterpretations or clickbait. This strategy provides him with a degree of control over his public persona.

However, this control is not absolute. Despite his silence during much of the major championship season, public interest and questions about him persist. While he may insulate himself from direct questioning, the questions themselves continue to circulate, and his perspective may not be fully relayed to the public through these means.

The Open’s Challenges and Player Perspectives

The Open Championship is known for its challenging conditions and slow pace of play, partly due to its large 156-man field at Royal Birkdale, which does not utilize split-tee starts. Other factors contributing to slow play include course bottlenecks, the course’s length and difficulty, and players’ complex pre-shot routines. The R&A has implemented a Pace of Play Policy to manage this issue.

Many players have expressed concerns about the slow pace, but Cameron Smith, who spent nearly five and a half hours on his opening round, indicated he was accustomed to it. He stated that long days and tough tests are expected at major championship venues and that he was not frustrated by the pace of play. Smith’s round was affected by tricky crosswinds, which he noted changed direction from the first to the second hole, making tee shots challenging.

Smith made par on the first and second holes but bogeyed the par-3 4th, par-4 6th, and par-4 8th on the front nine. His only birdie on the back nine came on the par-4 11th, leading to a 3-over 73. He did not dwell on mistakes, believing he played well and only needed to adjust his shots slightly to find the fairway more consistently. Smith’s familiarity with the course from his 2017 Open debut at Birkdale may be an advantage for his upcoming rounds.

A notable moment for Smith occurred near the end of his round on the 18th green, where his putt took an unexpected bounce and missed the cup. He attributed this to the firmness of the green, which he felt had not softened throughout the day. Smith, the 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year, has experienced a challenging period at majors recently, but he expressed confidence for Friday’s play, anticipating that an early tee time could shift momentum.

Source: golf.com

Mason Reed

Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.