Bryson DeChambeau could be headed for a second straight cut at a major tournament in 2026.<\/p>\n
DeChambeau headed into the clubhouse after posting a six-over 76 on Thursday in the first round of the 2026 PGA Championship. That’s nine shots worse than the leaders, who are sitting at three under.<\/p>\n
Coming into the event, one talking point was how much the advancements in technology seemingly removed the challenge of Aronimink Golf Club. Data Golf projected<\/a> that Rory McIlroy would attempt just 3.6 shots between 150 and 200 yards.<\/p>\n That kind of profile suited DeChambeau’s game far more than Augusta National Golf Club, where he historically struggled early in his career and couldn’t make the cut in April.<\/p>\n Instead, the first round of the PGA Championship was a disaster for the two-time major champion.<\/p>\n Nothing sums up his day better than his tee shot on No. 2. The ball sailed well right of the fairway and came to a stop on a set of stairs. He eventually took a drop after discussing the matter with a rules official:<\/p>\n A consistent theme across the years for DeChambeau is that things can quickly spiral after one or two setbacks. It didn’t take long for that to happen at Aronimink.<\/p>\n The LIV Golf star bogeyed two of his first four holes and then had back-to-back bogeys on No. 17 and 18. Things at least stabilized after he made the turn to the first tee box.<\/p>\n Then came a bogey on the seventh hole and a double on the par-three eighth.<\/p>\n By that point, The Athletic’s Ed Mackey<\/a> wrote DeChambeau was “trudging around this golf course with his shoulders firmly slumped.”<\/p>\n Closing the round with a birdie on No. 18 did little to improve his position.<\/p>\n According to the PGA Championship’s official site<\/a>, DeChambeau lost 3.672 strokes around the green and 1.098 strokes with his putting. His short game was nonexistent, nullifying the 335.7 yards he was averaging on his drives.<\/p>\n