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Bryson DeChambeau faces major hurdle he must fix to win another major in 2026

Originally posted on HITC | By Jordan Harris | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 4:16 PM ET

Bryson DeChambeau has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform at crucial times, securing a victory and six top-10 finishes in major tournaments over the last two years.

While Joaquin Niemann has more wins on the tour, DeChambeau is one of only two LIV players to capture a major title since making the move.

Still, by his own standards, 2025 felt like a bit of a letdown.

Despite his win at LIV Golf Korea, the 32-year-old finished outside the top 10 in six of the 13 events.

Furthermore, DeChambeau was in the final group with Rory McIlroy at The Masters, but he carded a 75 on Sunday. He also saw his Open Championship hopes fade early after a rough opening round at Royal Portrush.

The two-time major winner remains one of golf’s top players. But if there was any takeaway from 2025, it is that one part of his game still lags behind the rest.

Bryson DeChambeau faces a pressing concern ahead of 2026

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There is no clearer sign of how much DeChambeau’s iron play can hold him back than what happened at Augusta National. Only five players in the field lost more strokes on approach than him during that final round.

Rory McIlroy left the door open a few times, but the California native could not take advantage. Even after leading early, his hopes faded with a double bogey at the 11th.

He did improve his approach numbers in the majors that followed, but still missed the cut at the US Open.

Scheffler was also noticeably sharper into greens during the PGA Championship, gaining over a stroke more than DeChambeau in that area alone.

And while he deserves credit for fighting back over the final three rounds at The Open Championship, losing nearly three strokes with his irons on Thursday made it an uphill battle from the start.

Bryson DeChambeau’s approach play was the 19th best in LIV Golf in 2025

According to Data Golf, there were 18 players who posted better numbers than DeChambeau in approach play across LIV in 2025.

Given how thin the league is once you get past the top tier, that stands out as an area he needs to improve.

He also gave away 1.07 strokes with his irons at the Ryder Cup.

After The Masters, Trevor Immelman said that DeChambeau would win a major this year if he could fix those areas of his game.

There were signs that he settled down a bit as the year went on. Now, with some time away from competition ahead of next season, it is clear what should be at the top of his list to work on.

If he can make progress there, it could be what tips him over into becoming a three-time major winner by the end of 2026.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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