Brandel Chamblee’s Shot at Bryson DeChambeau Over YouTube Golf Was Pretty Savage, but Not Exactly Fair

Bryson DeChambeau has yet to make a cut at a major championship this year. | Oisin Keniry/Getty Images

Bryson DeChambeau will begin the 2026 British Open very early Thursday morning alongside Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton. The LIV Golf star will be under the biggest of microscopes in the first two rounds as he hasn’t made a cut at a major yet this year. A fourth early exit would be quite a disappointment for the two-time major winner.

The attention on DeChambeau has kicked up already this week, days before he has hit a single shot at Royal Birkdale. Leading the charge has been Golf Channel’s lead analyst Brandel Chamblee, who has never shied away from voicing his opinion on the biggest topics in the game. That is his job, after all.

2026 British Open Predictions: Our Picks to Win and Surprise at Royal Birkdale

His quote about DeChambeau on Tuesday’s Live From the British Open show has gone viral, as he savagely roasted the 32-year-old over his endeavor of becoming a YouTube golf star.

"It's almost like he went from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing Grant Horvat," Chamblee said. Horvat, an amateur golfer, is arguably the second biggest name in YouTube golf behind DeChambeau . "It's like he wants to outdo every YouTuber in the game of golf instead of outplay everybody in the game of golf."

Brandel on Bryson today on “Live From”:

“It’s almost like he went from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing Grant Horvat. It’s like he wants to outdo every YouTuber in the game of golf instead of outplay everybody in the game of golf.” pic.twitter.com/oSoB6MYDdq

— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) July 14, 2026

That was a pretty biting take on DeChambeau, but it isn’t really fair. Or even correct. And I say this as someone who has ripped DeChambeau many times over the years for what he’s done on and off the course.

Yes, DeChambeau has missed the cut at all three majors this year. But you know what? Making the cut at a major isn’t the easiest thing to do in the world. He’s held to a higher standard because of the success he’s had in the past, but that doesn’t mean his failures this year have anything to do with chasing any amateur on the YouTube scene.

Let’s take a look at DeChambeau’s three missed cuts this year

DeChambeau’s first missed cut came at the Masters in April. He was inside the cut line when he stepped up to the 18th tee at Augusta National on Friday afternoon but then disaster struck when he made a triple bogey that had him headed to the airport. If he made a par on that hole, he would have shot a one-under 71. Instead, he finished with a two-over 74, which was a pretty good bounce-back from his opening-round 76. He ended up missing the cut by two shots.

It wasn’t like he was totally out of the picture on that Friday. Surely some focus on making YouTube videos leading up to the tournament weren’t the reason why he didn’t make the weekend.

Next up was the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. He got off to another rough start with a six-over 76 in the first round and then he bounced back with a one-over 71. He was four shots off the cut, which isn’t great, but he wasn’t the only big name to miss the weekend. Wyndham Clark (who won the U.S. Open last month), Russell Henley (the No. 5-ranked player in the world), Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland all missed the cut, as well.

DeChambeau then missed the cut at the U.S. Open in June, which was shocking because he was in contention midway through his first round at two-under before a couple of late bogeys dropped him to even par. His five-over 75 in the second round wasn’t great but he ended up missing the cut by just one shot.

Quiz: Can you name the last 10 British Open winners? (with hints)

That all shows that he has been close to making the weekends at all three majors this year. Should that be goal for someone who has won two U.S. Opens and has been one of the best players in the world over the years? No. But we all know golf is a tough game where a mistake here and there can prove to be costly. It wasn’t like he was blowing up with rounds in the 80s.

DeChambeau brings a lot of the attention onto himself because yes, he likes to make goofy videos on YouTube that get millions of views. And yes, he also likes to play clubs that are all the same size, which has led to many people wondering if things would go better for him, especially on short approach shots and shots around the greens, if he just stopped trying to be so different and used the type of clubs that every player on the Tour uses.

But to suggest he’s more concerned about being the best YouTube golfer rather than being the best professional golfer is quite a stretch. It’s clear that he puts the work in on his game and puts a lot of brain power (for good or bad) into trying to make changes to his equipment that can give him the numbers he needs to be successful. He’s not just grabbing his golf bag out of his car at the majors and hoping for the best.

The results haven’t been there this year, but now he has one last chance to quiet some of the haters out there and contend for a major championship. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he did just that this week at Royal Birkdale.

But if he fails and misses the cut again, the critics will only get louder. That doesn’t mean they will be right.

---