Bryson DeChambeau's major championship woes deepened on Thursday as the two-time US Open winner posted a 6-over 76 in the opening round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
The 31-year-old LIV Golf star finished the day in a tie for 130th place, sitting four strokes above the projected cut line of 3-over par.
His struggles come just weeks after failing to make the weekend at Augusta National, raising the prospect of consecutive missed cuts at majors for the first time in recent years.
DeChambeau endured an erratic afternoon, with wayward tee shots finding hospitality structures and the punishing Aronimink rough throughout his round.
Bryson DeChambeau has had a torrid time at the PGA Championship so far
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His sole birdie arrived at the par-5 ninth, his final hole of the day.
Following his round, DeChambeau bypassed the media and headed straight to the practice facility, where Golf Channel analyst Ryan Lavner observed him working through evident swing troubles.
Lavner reported that the American remained on the driving range for close to an hour, going through three buckets of balls in an attempt to diagnose his issues.
Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast with Rex and Lav, Lavner said: "He was clearly not comfortable with his swing. He started missing left, thought he had figured that out, and then all of a sudden started missing right. He absolutely could not figure it out."
The extended practice session highlighted the depth of DeChambeau's technical concerns heading into Friday's crucial second round.
Yet Lavner indicated that DeChambeau's ball-striking was not his primary concern from Thursday's performance.
Bryson DeChambeau has been told his biggest issue is his "work around the green"
|REUTERS
"The biggest issue for Bryson was not even his ball striking," Lavner said.
"That was mediocre or middling, it was his work around the greens. Up and down with just one in seven chances. He ended up losing a field worse three and a half shots around the green."
His co-host Rex Hoggard pointed to the 11th hole as a pivotal moment in DeChambeau's unravelling.
"He hit a horrible wedge shot, which bounced long and he ended up putting himself in an impossible position," Hoggard said.
"You can get angry at the green and your first putt which ran all the way off the green on the other side but you put yourself in that position."
CBS analyst Johnson Wagner raised broader questions about whether DeChambeau's game is suited to challenging conditions at major championships.
| GBNEWS
Speaking on Golf on CBS' YouTube channel, Wagner said: "Honestly, I don't think he's a very good wind player. He has a real issue bringing the flight down on shots."
Wagner pointed to DeChambeau's record when the weather turns difficult, noting: "When conditions are perfect he's one of the best in the game, but he's shown a complete inability to adapt when things get tough."
The analyst also suggested external factors may be weighing on the American's mind.
DeChambeau has won two US Opens in his career | REUTERS"There's so many outside factors going on with a handful of these guys too," Wagner said. "Where am I going to play? What am I going to do? I just don't think it's a full tear down. I mean, it is concerning. It's very concerning."