Bryson DeChambeau has spoken out following his disappointing early exit from the 2026 U.S. Open, admitting that the result was difficult to accept after narrowly missing the cut at Shinnecock Hills.
The LIV Golf star became one of the biggest names to head home early after finishing one shot outside the cut line at four-over par. Despite battling back during his second round, DeChambeau was unable to produce the late birdie he needed to extend his week.
Speaking after the round, DeChambeau acknowledged his frustration but vowed to keep fighting through what has been a challenging major championship season.
“It’s obviously disappointing,” DeChambeau said. “I felt like I gave myself a chance coming down the stretch, but I just couldn’t get enough putts to fall when I needed them.”
The former U.S. Open champion entered the week hoping to bounce back after a difficult run in golf’s biggest events. Instead, Shinnecock Hills delivered another setback as he missed his third consecutive major cut of the season.
That marks the first time in DeChambeau’s professional career that he has failed to make the weekend at the first three majors of a single year.
What made the exit particularly painful was how close he came to surviving.
After a difficult opening round and a rocky start to Friday’s second round, DeChambeau mounted a late charge. Standing on the 18th green, he faced a birdie putt of just over 13 feet that would have moved him safely inside the cut line.
The putt narrowly missed.
Moments later, his championship was officially over.
“I fought hard all day and never stopped believing,” DeChambeau added. “That’s golf sometimes. You can do a lot of good things and still come up just short.”
The result continues a surprising downturn for one of the sport’s most recognizable players. DeChambeau had jokingly suggested in a recent interview that he might miss all four major cuts this season, a comment that now looks uncomfortably close to reality after his latest disappointment.
Despite the setback, the 2020 U.S. Open champion remained optimistic about the future and insisted that his game is not far away from returning to top form.
“There are positives to take from this week,” he said. “The margins are incredibly small out here. I just need to clean up a few things and keep working.”
Shinnecock Hills proved to be one of the toughest tests in recent U.S. Open history, with several major champions including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and Shane Lowry also missing the cut.
Still, DeChambeau’s exit attracted particular attention given his status as one of LIV Golf’s biggest stars and his strong history in major championships.
While the disappointment will undoubtedly sting, DeChambeau appears determined not to let the result define his season.
“I’ll learn from it and move forward,” he said. “The only thing you can do in this game is keep showing up, keep working and trust that the results will come.”
For now, however, the former champion leaves Shinnecock Hills wondering what might have been after coming agonizingly close to extending his U.S. Open campaign into the weekend.