Quick Summary: Nick Faldo said Bryson DeChambeau had "zero clue" how to play a links course. DeChambeau opened The Open at Royal Birkdale with a 3-under 67, then used his post-round interview to describe, in detail, how strategic he had just been. He never said Faldo's name. Meanwhile the Round 1 lead went to Jackson Suber, an American who had never set foot in Europe before Monday.
What Did Nick Faldo Say About DeChambeau?
He questioned whether DeChambeau is capable of playing this kind of golf at all. Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast before the championship, six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo said DeChambeau has "zero clue" how to handle a links course.
It was not a throwaway line. It fed a wider narrative, because DeChambeau had missed the cut at all three majors this year and arrived at Birkdale in genuine danger of the "Cut Slam" — missing the cut at all four majors in a single season.
For a two-time US Open champion who bombs it past almost everyone, links golf has always been the puzzle he cannot quite solve. The fairways are firm, the rough is savage, and raw power means far less when the ball scoots into trouble. Faldo, who won three Opens himself, was saying the quiet part loud. Plenty agreed with him.
How Did DeChambeau Respond?
With his clubs, and one very pointed sentence. DeChambeau shot 67, briefly tied for the lead, and delivered his reply in the flattest, most deliberate way available to him.
"I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places," he said. "I feel like my strategy was nice today."
He never mentioned Faldo by name. He did not have to. Every word was aimed at the exact criticism — that he lacks the brains and the touch for links — without throwing a punch. The swipe was sharper for how controlled it was. He let the 67 do the shouting and added just enough words to make sure nobody missed the point.
Who Is Jackson Suber?
The question half the golf world asked on Thursday afternoon. Suber, an American you would be forgiven for not knowing, shot a 5-under 65 to lead The Open after Round 1, a shot clear of Sungjae Im and Dan Brown.
His backstory makes it stranger still. "Monday was my first round of links golf," Suber said afterwards. "I've played 27 holes before I played the first round today. I've never been to Europe."
Read that again. A player who had never set foot in Europe, and who saw his first links course three days ago, led the oldest championship in golf. He is not a total fluke — a T6 at the John Deere, a T4 at the Canadian Open and a fourth at the Byron Nelson already this year say otherwise. But leading The Open on a links debut is the kind of thing that does not happen. It just did.
What Happened to the Big Names?
A mixed bag, and one genuine casualty. Scottie Scheffler, bouncing back from his shock missed cut at the Scottish Open, opened with a 2-under 68 after birdieing four of his first six holes. Tommy Fleetwood, chasing the first English Open win since Faldo himself in 1992, ground out a 69. Solid days, both.
Then there is Rory McIlroy. The Masters champion, one of the favourites, limped to a 2-over 72 and finished the day on the wrong side of the projected cut line. After closing the Scottish Open with a 64, it is a jarring turnaround, and he will need a far better Friday just to see the weekend.
Can DeChambeau Actually Avoid the Cut Slam?
He has put himself in a strong position, though the warning signs have not fully cleared. The 67 was built on exactly the strategic, position-first golf Faldo said he could not play, so on the face of it the point is made. Avoiding the Cut Slam now looks likely rather than desperate.
But one old problem lingered. DeChambeau lost 1.11 strokes on the greens and ranked 111th in the field in putting on day one. He scored despite the putter, not because of it. On a links that only gets firmer and trickier as the week goes on, that is the number that could undo him. Proving Faldo wrong for one round makes a point. Doing it for four would be something else entirely, and he is not there yet.
The Raw Read
In a single day The Open served up a former champion's jab, a defiant answer, and a leaderboard topped by a player who had never seen Europe until Monday. None of it involved the man everyone expected to be talking about, McIlroy, who is now scrambling to make the cut.
DeChambeau comes out of it looking good, and not only on the card. There is something to be said for answering a legend's criticism with a controlled round and a controlled quote rather than a rant. Whether he sustains it is a separate question, because the putter is still a liability and Birkdale bites harder every day. But for one afternoon, Bryson made his point, Suber stole the show, and Faldo's "zero clue" line aged about as badly as a line can age in the space of a single round.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Nick Faldo say about Bryson DeChambeau?
Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Faldo said DeChambeau has "zero clue" how to play a links course, questioning his strategy ahead of The Open.
How did DeChambeau respond to Faldo?
He shot a 3-under 67 in Round 1 and pointedly praised his own strategy afterwards, saying he did "a really good job of being incredibly strategic," without naming Faldo directly.
Who is Jackson Suber?
An American golfer who led The Open after Round 1 with a 5-under 65, despite it being only his first week ever playing links golf. He had never been to Europe before.
What is the "Cut Slam"?
Missing the cut at all four majors in a single season. DeChambeau had missed the first three of 2026 and risked completing the unwanted set at Birkdale.
How did Rory McIlroy do in Round 1?
He struggled to a 2-over 72, leaving him on the wrong side of the projected cut line and needing a strong second round to play the weekend.
Who is leading the Open Championship 2026?
Jackson Suber led after Round 1 at 5-under, one shot clear of Sungjae Im and Dan Brown, with DeChambeau and Scheffler in the chasing group.