Faldo: DeChambeau Has 'Zero Clue' on Links Strategy
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- Nick Faldo told Sky Sports that Bryson DeChambeau has "zero clue of strategy" on links courses ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
- DeChambeau arrives at Royal Birkdale off three straight missed cuts in majors in 2026, despite two LIV wins and three top-three finishes this season.
- DeChambeau opened with a 78 at Royal Portrush last year after declaring "driver would be key," then recovered to finish 10th.
- Faldo, a three-time Open winner, said links golf requires threading the ball down 20-yard-wide fairways and reading humps and bumps rather than attacking blindly.
- DeChambeau is using a brand-new set of 3D-printed irons this week, telling Sky Sports the clubs take about an hour to print from machining and production processes.
Why it matters: Faldo's pointed critique lays bare a generational tension in elite golf between DeChambeau's power-first, driver-heavy approach and the conservative course management that seaside links demand. For DeChambeau, breaking a three-major missed-cut streak with untested 3D-printed irons at Royal Birkdale carries reputational stakes as LIV's marquee American draw.
