In the final round of last year’s Masters, DeChambeau’s hopes faded with a double-bogey at the 11th when he found the creek on the left side. Asked if he was cognizant of not going left again, he replied: “The ball flew 12 yards father than I wanted it to. I had a good shot.”
He then ended his round with a bogey-birdie-bogey finish, leaving him with plenty to digest overnight.
“Just going to give what the golf course gives me,” he said when asked about his approach moving forward. “I have to try to hit my irons better. I drove it left numerous occasions. Did a great job on 18. Wind didn’t hurt it like we thought, and that’s this golf course.”
Rahm started his round with a bogey, suffered three more at holes 3, 6 and 9, but had a chance to produce something positive after his tee shot at the par-5 13th bounced into the fairway after it appeared to be headed left into trouble, a break he desperately wanted to capitalize on.
Instead, his next shot left him wondering what happened, as he found the shrubs left of the green, leading to a double bogey – his first-ever at the 13th.
“I still don’t know what happened, honestly,” he said. “To get so lucky off the tee, to have an 8-iron in my hand, I don’t know, that ball came out about 10 yards left, 20 feet higher, and hooking in a way that I didn’t expect. To make such a mistake from what could have been a good birdie look, it’s a big problem.
“It’s probably the part I’m the most upset at today. On that hole, you know, I’m 4-over. If I put it on the green, two-putt, 3-over. Still not good, but a little bit more manageable, right? That was very a possible three-shot swing after how lucky I got off the tee.”
Asked to process his round, Rahm replied: “It’s a hard golf course. Some of the players might have been able to manage a respectable round, but when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it’s just not an easy one. What I manage? Hopefully get some physio, get some dinner, get something positive going in that sense. Tomorrow is a new day.”
Perhaps he can lean on last year when he shot his previous worst round at Augusta, opening with a 75 that left him tied for 63rd. He bounced back the next day with a 71 to make the cut, eventually finishing tied for 14th. Not the result he wanted but at least respectable given the start.
Of course, this week’s challenge is even larger.
“I’ve done that a few times,” he said, “but it still sucks to be in this position, to need a Herculean effort the next two days to give myself a chance to maybe sniff having a chance to win. It’s just frustrating.”
Top image: Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau hits a shot on No. 17 during Round 1 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)