“That’s hard.” That’s how Tiger Woods three-time The Open Champion, describes links-style courses. Despite his legendary status, he even acknowledges the unique challenge they present. Unlike U.S. parkland-style courses, links golf demands far more than raw power. It requires creativity, adaptability, and precise control. The firm, uneven terrain causes unpredictable bounces, and the ever-changing wind forces constant adjustments to ball flight and club selection. That’s why so many players struggle on links. It’s not just about distance and precision, it’s about feel and finesse. And one player is in dire need of a lesson to have any sort of competitive edge — Bryson DeChambeau.
“I am not saying that I don’t think that Bryson can ever be a contender here, because I always go back to the year that Phil Mickelson won at Muirfield. I was in the gym working out with his trainer….he actually said this is Phil’s year at the Open Championship, and I was stunned,” said Rex Hoggard in the Golf Channel Podcast. Hoggard was making a point about how different players handle links golf. Bryson’s game is all about control; he likes to remove variables, rely on numbers, and keep things predictable. But links golf is the opposite. The wind, the bounce, the weather, none of it is predictable where he tends to fall. And the numbers back it up.
Bryson has played in seven Open Championships and missed the cut in three of them in 2017, 2019, and most recently in 2024. His best finish came in 2022, when he tied for 8th at St Andrews. Outside of that, he’s mostly struggled to find rhythm on these courses. According to Brandel Chamblee, what Bryson does wrong is that he hits the ball too high and doesn’t adjust his ball flight enough. Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, thrives in such situations.
“He, at that time, made significant changes. Remember how he was playing…he worked with late Dave Pelz, he was working on the three-quarter shots. He was fighting it differently. He was shaping it differently. Bryson has not made that sort of adjustment,” said Ryan Lavner. That work wasn’t just about swing tweaks; it was about learning to play proper links golf. Dave Pelz, a renowned short-game coach, helped Phil master those three-quarter swings, which are key to controlling trajectory and spin in windy, firm conditions. These shorter, controlled swings keep the ball lower and reduce the chances of it ballooning in the air, exactly what you need on a links course. Mickelson was back in 2013. That year, he won the Scottish Open and followed it up with a win at The Open at Muirfield, proving not just form, but a deep comfort with links-style golf. That’s the kind of commitment Lavner believes Bryson needs to show now.
“However, if he wants to be viewed, I think as a complete golfer, a golfer who can win all four major championships. A golfer like a Scotty, or a Rahm, or a Phil, I think he needs to get to that level and really devote the energy to playing this style of golf in this style of way,” added Ryan Lavner. Bryson has two majors to his name, the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, but The Open has consistently exposed the flaws in his game. He’s missed the cut three times and has only one top-10 finish. The rest, he has not finished anywhere above T44.
So, unless he embraces the adjustments needed for links golf, he will most likely have another disappointing finish this year as well. However, Dechambeau can feel a little more assured as others also face this difficulty, including the world no. 1.
Even world no.1 Scottie Scheffler finds links golf tough
Experts on the 5 Clubs podcast pointed out that Scheffler may not have the same edge at The Open Championship as he does in other tournaments. One of the insiders explained, “You could sense that Scottie feels like he doesn’t have as big of an advantage here in this Open than he does in all of the other tournaments he plays.” Links golf is known for its unpredictability, shifting winds, and firm playing surfaces, which can disrupt Scheffler’s ability to control ball flight and placement. And there’s a reason why Scottie Scheffler isn’t considered a strong favorite when it comes to links-style courses like The Open Championship.
In his 4 starts at the event, Scheffler has made the cut in all, with his highest finish at T7 at Royal Troon 2024. His second-highest at T8 came in his first start back in 2021 at the Royal St George’s. Which definitely seems like a good track record but his 2022 and 23 finishes came at T21 and T23, respectively. He even once vocalized his frustration in Royal Liverpool, “I think it doesn’t reward the good shots as much.” These are just some of the signs that link golf doesn’t quite bring out the best in his game.
So, it goes to say that this year at Royal Portrush would have some interesting performances, and if the world No.1 is still searching for answers on links, could this be the year an underdog claims the Claret Jug?
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