Bryson DeChambeau‘s start at the Masters 2026 wasn’t a dreamy one as he was left covering his mouth after a mishap. Within the high-pressure environment of the opening round, particularly at the par-3 6th hole (Juniper), DeChambeau found himself in a situation that required him to make immediate amends.
Bryson DeChambeau’s tee shot at the sixth wandered off line and ended up striking a patron. The LIV golfer did shout “fore left” to warn spectators near the green. Still, the ball dropped sharply and hit a fan on the legs before rolling back into play.
As for how brutal the hit looked, commentating on Sky Sports, Nick Dougherty noted, “The fact he didn’t go down, shows it didn’t hurt as bad as it looked thankfully…”
However, DeChambeau couldn’t help but wince back on the tee, briefly even covering his mouth. So, DeChambeau made his way over to the fan and handed him a ball as an apology.
Bryson DeChambeau walked over and handed a patron a golf ball after an errant tee shot
pic.twitter.com/riEgZixdrm
— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2026
This is not the first time DeChambeau’s high-powered game has intersected with the gallery, nor is it his first time making a public effort to mend fences. At the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, DeChambeau won over the crowd when he tossed a ball to a young fan. After an older man intercepted the souvenir, DeChambeau stopped in his tracks, shouting and pointing until the man returned the ball to its rightful owner.
But before the drama at the 6th, DeChambeau’s opening stretch was a rollercoaster. He teed off at 10:07 a.m. ET alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele. He started steadily, but on the Par 5 Hole 2 (Pink Dogwood), he hooked his drive into a bush left of the fairway. He was forced to take a drop for an unplayable lie; he eventually carded a bogey 6 on a hole, where he would typically expect a birdie.
He entered carpe-diem mode immediately, bouncing back by rattling in a birdie putt to return to level par on Par 4, Flowering Peach. Then he hit what some called the ‘shot of the day,’ a high draw over the flag to six feet. However, he failed to convert the birdie, leaving him “deflated” as the putt dribbled past. And just before this errant shot on 6th, he saved the par on Par 4, Magnolia.
And as of now, DeChambeau is at level par (E), sitting in T18, while Kurt Kitayama was leading the leaderboard with a 4 under par score through 11. The defending champion, Rory McIlroy, started his day with a solid par on the 1st and is currently sitting at the T20 after making a bogey on the 4th hole.
Bryson DeChambeau is chasing redemption at the 2026 Masters
The 2026 Masters marks DeChambeau’s 10th start at Augusta National. His history here has been a ‘gradual learning process,’ moving from his debut as Low Amateur in 2016 to the heartbreak of 2025.
Back in 2020, DeChambeau claimed that his length turned the par-72 Augusta National into a par-67—a comment that backfired when he finished T34 that year. DeChambeau missed two cuts in his next three trips to Augusta and expressed regret about making the comments.
And last year, DeChambeau was in the final pairing on Sunday with Rory McIlroy and briefly held the lead after the second hole. However, he “wilted” on the back nine, double-bogeying the 11th and bogeying the 12th en route to a 3-over 75 and a T5 finish. So this week, he entered the tournament with a desire to finally claim the Green Jacket, having transitioned from his 2020 attempt to overpower the course to a new philosophy of strategic obedience.
And despite his uneven start, some of the golf’s most influential voices have identified DeChambeau as a primary threat this week.
CBS analyst Jim Nantz named DeChambeau as his second favorite to win, right behind Scottie Scheffler. Tiger Woods’ legendary former coach, Butch Harmon, has often been a critic of DeChambeau, but his tone has shifted ahead of the 90th Masters.
“I think they have to look at especially DeChambeau as one of the favorites,” Harmon noted. He believes DeChambeau’s ‘heck of a year’ and his ability to win majors make him impossible to count out.
And DeChambeau himself has been candid about his competitive fire and added spark with his rivalry with defending champion Rory McIlroy.
Though nothing has been entirely visible for the LIV Golf Singapore and South Africa champion as of now, his game has yet to fully ignite in the opening round. However, as things settle and the tournament moves forward, there is a strong expectation that the two-time U.S. Open champion will find his momentum and surge through the remainder of Round 1.
