Bryson DeChambeau’s strategy keeps him on the heels of surprise Open leader

Unknown American Jackson Suber was the surprise leader of The Open at Royal Birkdale but it was compatriot Bryson DeChambeau making waves on and off the course.

By the time the 26-year-old world number 115 had signed for a five-under 65, DeChambeau had left his mark on the links and six-time major winner Nick Faldo with a sarcastic response to claims he had “zero clue on strategy”.

A fast and fiery Birkdale burned Masters champion Rory McIlroy who, as a late afternoon starter, got the more difficult wind and crusty greens and missed at least three putts from inside four feet in a round of 72 which left him seven off the lead.

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Two-time major winner DeChambeau is searching for his first Claret Jug but after shooting his first sub-70 major round of the year he took aim at Faldo.

On Tuesday the last English winner of the Open, in 1992, criticised the 32-year-old’s approach.

“I’d say it to his face: he has zero clue of strategy. He said it last year, I think, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never ‘attacked’ a links,” said the three-time Open champion.

DeChambeau, looking to avoid missing the cut in all four majors this year, refused to speak to the media for the fifth consecutive major round but spoke to the R&A’s in-house channel.

In one 18-second response he used the word ‘strategic’ or ‘strategy’ three times, pointedly stressing the emphasis.

“I think you’ve got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course. I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places,” he said after a 67 left him two off the lead.

“Besides 18, I placed the ball in some