Trevor Immelman has explained why he believes that Bryson DeChambeau is under more pressure to impress at The Open Championship next month than Jon Rahm.
The US Open proved to be another difficult week at the majors for those associated with LIV Golf.
There were reasons for positivity. Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton finished inside the top 10. Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson showed glimpses of his old form as he made a brilliant start at Shinnecock Hills.
However, the two biggest names to miss the cut in Southampton were Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
Trevor Immelman reacts to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau missing the cut at the US Open
Both men had actually been inside the top 10 when play was suspended on the opening day. Rahm did not make a single bogey in his first round.
However, DeChambeau posted a 75 on Friday, while Rahm completely capitulated during his second round. Rahm was 10 shots worse on day two.
It now means that DeChambeau has missed the cut at four of his last five majors. Rahm missed his first cut at the US Open since 2018.
And speaking on Fried Egg Golf, Trevor Immelman suggested that he was taken aback by how the pair got on at the US Open.
“Guys where I was really surprised by their performance would be DeChambeau and Rahm, really, really surprised. I was very intrigued to see how Bryson would play at Shinnecock knowing how precise you had to be on approach, especially when the wind starts to blow. He’s a two-time US Open champion, but I was very interested to see how he would manage his game around what that golf course asks for. And with regards to Rahm, I thought he was going to be one of the favourites to win the tournament,” he said.
“That totally caught me off-guard. If we had done this podcast the week before the tournament and you asked me to give you five names of guys who could win the US Open, he would have been in my top five.
“I think there’s some evidence that playing on LIV doesn’t necessarily hurt your chances in the majors. We’ve seen guys like Bryson and Brooks when he was playing there win major championships while they were playing at LIV.
“I think right now, what the challenge is, we’ve all read the same reports of their funding issues and getting out there trying to figure out how they can keep things going, and if they can do that, what the league actually looks like. I would say that is probably weighing quite heavily on these players’ mind. We’ve seen a number of them rejoin the DP World Tour, so we can expect them to be playing out there as well.
“But to me, the uncertainty, if I was in that position, the uncertainty of where I’m going to play and what it’s going to look like, and if it’s going to be around would be something that would be bothering me. And so, we’re just not quite sure, we don’t really have all the information to know how much it’s playing on their minds.”
Why Bryson DeChambeau desperately needs to perform at The Open Championship
The Open Championship is the final major of the season. Those on LIV will head to Royal Birkdale with a real point to prove.
There are now no LIV events to be played before The Open. Some may turn up on the DP World Tour over the coming weeks, but it is not going to be easy to prepare for Southport.
Immelman was asked whether it is DeChambeau or Rahm who needs to shine at The Open more.
“I think it’s Bryson, because he’s missed the cut in all the majors so far this year,” he said. “To me, he’s the one. Rahm had a great run at it at the PGA Championship and really got himself in there and played some beautiful golf.
“I think it’s Bryson who needs to have a good Open Championship to at least feel like he finishes the year with some momentum going into 2027.”
DeChambeau can take confidence from how he performed after a nightmare opening day at Royal Portrush last year. He battled back to finish inside the top 10.
But there is reason for real concern about how the Crushers captain will cope if the wind really picks up.
