Bryson DeChambeau struggled during the opening round of the 2026 PGA Championship on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club.

The performance is significant because DeChambeau is a high-profile professional golfer whose early-round scoring typically dictates his ability to contend for the title.

DeChambeau faced difficulties throughout the day, struggling to produce birdies while failing to avoid bogeys. This lack of momentum culminated in a specific putting error where he barely tapped a putt, yet the ball rolled a long distance [1, 2]. The error served as a visual marker of his difficulties on the greens during the first day of competition.

Following the struggles at Aronimink Golf Club, DeChambeau was on pace to finish the first round with a score of 74 [1]. This score places him well behind the leaders as the tournament progresses into the subsequent rounds.

The 2026 PGA Championship continues this week, with players attempting to recover from early setbacks to secure a position in the final leaderboard. For DeChambeau, the opening round highlighted a lack of precision in his short game, a critical component for success at this level of professional play.

“DeChambeau was on pace for a 74 after the first round”

A first-round score of 74 often removes a player from immediate contention in a major championship. For DeChambeau, the combination of poor putting and a high bogey rate indicates a struggle with course management or green reading at Aronimink Golf Club, requiring a significant correction in the second round to remain competitive.