2024 British Open: Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy struggle mightily in return to majors

One month ago, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau combined for one of the most compelling, nerve-wracking U.S. Open finishes in recent memory. On Thursday, they both made a mess of Royal Troon, and sit well off the lead. Both could rebound from early adversity — they certainly have before — but they’ll have plenty of work to do to get back in contention.

McIlroy shot a 7-over 78, while DeChambeau was slightly better at 5-over.

“You play your practice rounds, you have a strategy that you think is going to help you get around the golf course, but then when you get a wind you haven’t played in, it starts to present different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs that you haven’t hit in practice,” McIlroy said. “Just one of those days where I just didn’t adapt well enough to the conditions.”

“I didn’t really play much in the rain,” DeChambeau said. “Yeah, it’s a difficult test out here. Something I’m not familiar with. I never grew up playing it, and not to say that that’s the reason; I finished eighth at St Andrews. I can do it when it’s warm and not windy.”

DeChambeau, who won that U.S. Open duel, stumbled right from the start at Royal Troon, bogeying his first hole and three of his first four. He would go on to make the turn at 6-over, one of many players who found Troon’s front nine to be far tougher than expected.

The back nine ended up being more kind to DeChambeau; he parred his way until a bogey on the 15th, but managed an eagle at the par-5 16th. He would go on to finish with a 76, eight strokes off the clubhouse lead.

Two groups behind DeChambeau, McIlroy hit his rough patch around the turn. He cleaned up a first-hole bogey with a third-hole birdie. But the wheels fell off with a double-bogey on the par 3 8th, followed with a bogey on the 10th and another double on the 11th. McIlroy finished with bogeys on the 15th and 18th to finish the day at 7-over, a full 10 strokes off the lead.

“Difficult day,” McIlroy said after the round. “I was actually surprised how difficult I felt like the back nine played. I thought we were going to get it a little bit easier than we did. The course was playing tough. The conditions are very difficult in a wind that we haven’t seen so far this week.”

Spitting rain and winds swirling at up to 23 miles per hour caused havoc for the entire field throughout the morning. Justin Thomas fought his way to a 3-under round with two birdies to finish his round, and that number held up through most of the morning.

Along with Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy and DeChambeau were two of the betting favorites heading into this week. Scheffler is part of Thursday’s afternoon wave, teeing off shortly after DeChambeau finished, but it’s already clear that two of the game’s biggest names will have to scramble to make the weekend.

“All I need to focus on is tomorrow and try to make the cut,” McIlroy said. “That’s all I can focus on.”

“That’s golf, my man,” DeChambeau said. “It’s frustrating, but look, at the end of the day it’s golf, and I get to go relax and enjoy watching others play in this rain. I’m going to go figure it out.”