DeChambeau Fires 67 at Open as Scheffler Escapes Buried Lie for 68

Q: Scottie Scheffler called the new greens 'severe'. Will his own words come back to haunt his title defense?

Not yet. Scheffler’s own description of Royal Birkdale’s renovated greens as “severe” looks more like an accurate reading of the course than a warning sign for his title defense. His opening 2-under 68 backed that up. He hit 13 of 14 fairways, made four birdies on the front nine and briefly held the solo lead before fading slightly on the back. That left him only two shots behind the early co-leaders and well placed after a week in which he had missed the cut in Scotland. For a player seeking stability and confidence, that is a solid start, not evidence that the course has exposed him. The course changes support his point. Several redesigned holes, especially the 7th, 14th and 15th, feature raised or heavily contoured greens, steep run-offs and deep bunkering. In the firm, fast, heat-baked conditions at Birkdale, those features are especially punishing. Scheffler was not complaining so much as identifying the central challenge of the week. The real question is whether those severe surfaces become more costly over four rounds. That remains possible. Scheffler has been slightly less sharp with his irons this season, and links putting has not always been his strength in Europe. On a course where misses can repel sharply away from targets, even small imprecision can add up. But after round one, his words have not haunted him. If anything, they showed he understood exactly what this Open would demand, and his 68 suggested he is equipped to handle it.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 16

Bryson DeChambeau opened with a 3-under 67 at Royal Birkdale, reaching a share of third in the early wave after missing the cut in the season's first three majors.
Five birdies and more than 2.5 strokes gained on approach powered that round, with DeChambeau using a full set of 3D-printed irons and limiting the damage from a closing bogey at 18.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, shot 2-under 68 despite a costly break on 17, where his approach from 253 yards finished buried under a wire in heavy rough and led to bogey.
Scheffler had started 4-under through six holes with four birdies, then saw his putter cool off and played nine straight pars before the stumble on the par-5 17th.
DeChambeau's start also answered criticism from Nick Faldo over his links strategy, with the American saying he had been "incredibly strategic" and focused on placing the ball correctly.