Bryson DeChambeau’s return to LIV Golf UK on Thursday came with a strong scorecard and a moment that could have gone very wrong.
At JCB Golf and Country, DeChambeau opened with an eight-under 64 and sat three shots behind Lucas Herbert going into Friday’s second round. But the round also included a frightening near miss involving Ian Poulter, who was playing ahead of him.
Poulter had spent time searching for Jon Rahm’s ball before moving back to his own shot on the par-4 seventh. Just as he was preparing to hit his second, DeChambeau’s tee shot came screaming past his head. It missed by inches.
“It would have hurt... A LOT.”
😅"It wasn't his fault at all." 🤝🗣️ Ian Poulter on nearly being hit by Bryson DeChambeau's drive...
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“It wasn’t his fault at all but yeah it just grazed my ear on the way past, he was very close” Poulter said. “It wouldn’t have been good.
It would have hurt. A lot.
That was a shock to the system. The hear rate went up a bit.”
Poulter later laid out why the situation unfolded the way it did.
“We were 40 yards up looking for Jon’s ball in the fescue and it took three minutes to find his ball. We found it in time and then walked all the way back to my ball,” Poulter said.
“So those guys were probably on the tee for a long time, that new tee box that they’ve put in there has gone back a bit and you can’t see that portion of the fairway where you’re going to take it on. It’s not his fault.
It’s one of those things where he thought he could probably see people moving further up once we found Jon’s ball and he sent one down there.”
Thankfully, Poulter wasn’t struck.
DeChambeau, who had mostly avoided the media during the week at Royal Birkdale, did address his British Open showing after Thursday’s round. Asked what he took from the event, he pointed to the missed opportunity on the weekend.
“Yeah, I made the cut,” Chambeau said. “Yeah no, it was a good fight.
I wish I would have given it more on Saturday and Sunday. Felt like I could have.
Besides the fifth hole and being three-over on that hole and then the 11th hole, that’s six shots. That’s tied for the lead right there.
That’s two holes and I’m right there with the Claret Jug.”
DeChambeau reportedly tried to get President Donald Trump to help him during his meeting with the rules officials last Friday. He faded with a two-over 72 on Sunday at Royal Birkdale and finished tied for 14th at four-under, six shots behind winner Ryan Fox.
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The finish only added to the buzz, with Kim birdieing his last four holes to cap the day and leave himself three shots clear at the top. He sounded thrilled afterward, but also aware that the hard part may be next, because a round like this changes the temperature of a tournament and puts a fresh kind of pressure on the player who just lit it up. [Read more 🡒]