Bryson bounces back

There is rarely a dull day in the life of Bryson DeChambeau but even by his standards, he went on a rollercoaster ride at Royal Portrush.

On Thursday, as the winds howled and the rain poured, DeChambeau cut a frustrated figure and shot a seven-over-par 78, his worst ever round in a major.

The American has stated a desire to explore Giant’s Causeway during his time in this part of the world and at that stage, it looked as though he may have a couple of extra days to do so.

But then the fightback began. He surged inside the cutline with a six-under-par 65 on Friday, climbed again with a Saturday 68 and saved his best until last.

Seven birdies on a bogey-free card meant he signed for a 64, the joint-best round of the week.

The only man to match it? Scottie Scheffler – and DeChambeau could not help wondering what might have been had his first round gone even slightly better.

“It was a fun three days,” he said. “I was really proud of the way I turned it around and gave myself actually some hope on the third round, after I was three-under.

“That first nine I thought, okay, if I go shoot four or five-under on the back and give myself a chance on Sunday, throw myself up there and go out and play just as good as I did, like I did today, I could be right up there and giving Scottie a run.

“I like it when it's fair conditions. I can play well. I still have to crack the code when it's raining and windy.

“But I feel like we're getting close to some opportunities and solutions for that. It just takes a long time to develop stuff, I'm starting to learn.”

DeChambeau set the tone with birdies at 3 and 4, coming close to an eagle at the latter, and enjoyed a moment to treasure with a successful birdie putt from 11 feet on the 18th.

It earned him a rapturous ovation illustrative of DeChambeau’s ever-growing popularity in the galleries, boosted by an online presence which has captivated a younger audience worldwide.

“I look at the game a little bit different than others,” he said. “I want to win. I think we all know that.

“But there's more than winning. There's how you influence a younger population, how you showcase yourself, and what you do for others, what value do you give them.

“The only reason we're getting paid the numbers we're getting paid is because of those individuals out there in the stands.

“I think having another identity with that saying, hey, look, I'm not just a professional, but I'm an entertainer as well, and I like showcasing myself to others and doing fun challenges because that's just who I am, has shown people the true side of myself.

“I've been able to say, okay, I don't have to play good all the time. I can still not do my best and still have relevance and care from others because I'm hopefully growing the game outside of just playing tournament golf.”

DeChambeau’s final round was the lowest on an Open Sunday at Royal Portrush while his total of 197 over his final 54 holes is the second-lowest in Championship history, behind only Henrik Stenson in 2016.

Perhaps it is no surprise he would like to return to Royal Portrush in the future.

“It's a great Open venue,” he said. “There's a lot of tricky hole locations. It was a solid setup.

“It would be a lot of fun to come back. It's a great town.

“For the past three days, I said, every time is go time. I said I'm going to give myself a chance.

“I'm not going to pout. I'm going to be free. It's Sunday of a major. I'm going to be free. Kind of like what Scottie is doing right now.”