Nick Faldo Blasts Bryson DeChambeau's Strategy Ahead of 2026 Open as 3 Missed Cuts Mount

Q: Is Faldo's critique a defense of golf's soul or a dismissal of its inevitable, power-driven future?

Faldo’s critique is mainly a defense of golf’s strategic core, not a denial that power now shapes the sport. His argument is specific to links golf. At Royal Birkdale and similar Open venues, Faldo says success comes from controlling trajectory, using slopes, avoiding pot bunkers and placing the ball on the short grass. That is not nostalgia for its own sake; it is backed by his record as a three-time Open champion and by the broader view of other players, including Jon Rahm, that driver-heavy golf is often the wrong formula on links courses. The wider evidence also supports Faldo’s point. DeChambeau’s 2026 major season has been poor, with missed cuts at the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship, and The Open has historically been his weakest major. Faldo is using those results to argue that raw power and aggressive intent do not automatically travel well to every test, especially one that demands restraint and planning. At the same time, Faldo is clearly pushing back against where elite golf is heading. His support for a one-inch tee rule, limits on driver setup and fewer clubs shows he wants to preserve shot-making and course management against a distance-driven, technology-assisted model. That aligns with the USGA and R&A’s broader effort to curb distance. So this is less a dismissal of golf’s future than a warning about its limits. Faldo is saying power is valuable, but if it overwhelms strategy, golf loses part of what makes it distinctive.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 14

Nick Faldo said Bryson DeChambeau has "zero clue of strategy" and warned his attack-minded approach is ill-suited to links golf ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
Faldo pointed to DeChambeau's stated plan to "attack the links," arguing Open golf requires threading shots, using contours and prioritizing fairways over power.
Three missed cuts at this year's Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open have sharpened scrutiny on DeChambeau's form, even after he qualified for The Open with a top-10 finish last year.
The final major now carries extra weight for DeChambeau, who needs a turnaround both to make his first major cut of 2026 and to bolster leverage before any new LIV deal.