
DeChambeau’s slimmed-down form gives him a solid start at Oak Hill, while Jon Rahm faces difficulties
Bryson DeChambeau surged to the clubhouse lead during the opening round of the 2023 PGA Championship, marking an impressive four-under-par performance at Oak Hill Country Club. The LIV Golf star, known for his previous focus on bulking up for power hitting, has recently adopted a much leaner diet, and the results are already showing.
Reflecting on his round, DeChambeau expressed surprise at his strong start, saying, “I was looking at the course all week, and thought ‘I don’t know how shooting under par is even possible here on some holes.’ Luckily, I played some really good golf, hit a lot of fairways, did my job, and made some putts.”
Despite a frost delay and the day being cut short due to fading light, DeChambeau’s performance stood out, with 11 groups yet to complete their first round. Fellow LIV golfer Dustin Johnson was close behind, sitting at three-under with one hole left to play, alongside Scottie Scheffler.
On the other hand, reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm faced a challenging start, faltering throughout the round. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy, battling an undisclosed illness ahead of the tournament, managed to stay in contention with a one-under-par score. Early leader, however, is relatively unknown Eric Cole, who has an impressive five-under-par through 14 holes.