Nick Faldo criticizes Bryson DeChambeau's links game

Field Level Media|published: Tue 14th July, 12:48 2026

Sir Nick Faldo talks about the first time he played golf with Jack Nicklaus during his Memorial Honoree Ceremony at the driving range at Muirfield Village Golf Club before the 2015 Memorial Tournament on June 3, 2015. (Dispatch photo by Kyle Robertson)

World Golf Hall of Fame member Nick Faldo teed off on Bryson DeChambeau, accusing the two-time major winner of having "zero clue of strategy" for links golf ahead of this week's The Open Championship.

Faldo, 68, who counts three Claret Jugs among his six major titles, said DeChambeau's power-hitting, attack-oriented approach won't work at links courses like Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

"I'd say it to his face -- DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy," Faldo told Sky Sports.

"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.

"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.

"You've got to think: 'How do I get it on the short grass?' It is so important."

DeChambeau, 32, brings a dubious streak into the 154th Open in Southport, England. The LIV Golf member missed the cut at each of this season's first three Grand Slam events.

Both of DeChambeau's major wins came at the U.S. Open, in 2020 and 2024. His best finish at The Open is a tie for eighth in 2022 at St Andrews in Scotland, and he tied for 10th last year at Royal Portrush in Ireland.

DeChambeau does have two LIV Golf wins this season and sounded confident upon his arrival at Royal Birkdale.

"This is a tough golf course; I like it," DeChambeau said. "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.

"If I feel good, I know I can give myself a chance. 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."

DeChambeau is playing the first two rounds Thursday and Friday in a threesome with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and England's Tyrrell Hatton, also from LIV Golf.

--Field Level Media

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