Bryson DeChambeau skips media after hot Open start
Bryson DeChambeau declined interviews with television and the press after shooting a first-round 67 at the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, continuing a major-championship media blackout that began after a first-round 76 at the Masters on April 9. He spoke only briefly with R&A officials despite sitting two shots off the lead.
Key Takeaways
- DeChambeau carded a 67 at Royal Birkdale, two shots off the first-round lead, then skipped the assembled press.
- His major media blackout dates to April 9 at the Masters and now spans multiple tournaments.
- He answered R&A questions and filmed a short official video, stressing strategy after Nick Faldo's pre-tournament criticism.
- Playing partner Tyrrell Hatton said the hot start should surprise no one given DeChambeau's ball flight.
The silence landed as one of Thursday's loudest storylines in celebrity breaking news: golf's biggest YouTube draw choosing not to face independent reporters after one of the day's best rounds.
What did Bryson DeChambeau do after his Open round?
According to GOLF.com, an R&A official told reporters DeChambeau would not speak to television or the press after his opening 67 at Southport. The Guardian reported it was his fifth major round in a row without a full media session.
He did not blank every microphone. DeChambeau answered several questions for an R&A official and completed a short interview for the championship's official channels. Those remarks were largely box-ticking: hard-fought golf, switching winds, and fans rooting for the group.
A bogey at the last dropped him out of a share of the lead. Jackson Suber set the early pace in his first European event, with Im Sung-jae and Dan Brown also among the leaders.
Why is Bryson DeChambeau avoiding the media?
Neither DeChambeau nor his team offered a public explanation. The blackout has tracked a rough major stretch: three missed cuts in the majors completed so far in 2026, plus that Masters 76 that started the freeze.
Days before Birkdale, Nick Faldo said DeChambeau had "zero clue of strategy," and Brandel Chamblee also criticized his Open tactics. DeChambeau's R&A comments read as a reply without naming names.
"I think you've got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course," he said. "I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super-hard on placing it in the right places." Faldo later claimed from the TV booth that he had "rattled the cage."
Does skipping the press change Bryson DeChambeau's brand?
DeChambeau built a massive audience through carefully produced YouTube content, giving him narrative control many players lack. GOLF.com argued that advantage lets him skip tough questions—yet silence also leaves critics defining the story.
Hatton, who shot 69 alongside him, dismissed shock at the leaderboard position. "He's an amazing player," Hatton said. "His ball flight today was really good." Equipment chatter—new irons and a driver switch—and LIV Golf's future remain open topics he left unanswered.
For now, the 32-year-old's message is the one he did not deliver: after a statement round at Birkdale, Bryson DeChambeau still will not talk to the media.