DeChambeau struggles with club selection; amateurs drop down leaderboard

The winds were swirling again on moving day at Augusta National, and amateur star Bryson DeChambeau was battling through the elements with the poise of a professional.

The 22-year-old from Clovis, Calif., fell down the Masters leaderboard into a tie for 23rd after a double bogey at No. 18, a day after taking triple bogey on the hole.

The U.S. Amateur champion shot 77 and is 5-over for the tournament.

DeChambeau, who started the day tied for eighth, said club selection was an issue, along with some other costly mistakes.

“I misclubbed all day,” DeChambeau said. “That’s ultimately why I didn’t execute. … There were so many times that I had a six-foot putt to keep the momentum going, and that would have changed the ball game.”

The former Southern Methodist University player wasn’t happy with his performance on the par-5 holes, where he finished 2-over. He bogeyed No. 13 and took a double bogey on the 15th, a hole that he laid up and spun a wedge back into the pond fronting the green.

“I can’t believe I didn’t hit that ball past the pin,” DeChambeau said. “I made a double because of that. I had the triple on No. 18 yesterday and a double today. If you take those away, I’m in it. I’m good enough to win; I know I am.”

He ranks 15th in driving distance this week with a 282-yard average and is tied for 18th hitting 64.82 percent of greens in regulation.

DeChambeau showed his resiliency after the bogey at No. 13, draining a 10-footer for birdie on the next hole. He responded to the double bogey at No. 15 by sinking an impressive 17-footer for birdie at No. 16.

A three-putt from nine feet at No. 18 led to the double bogey. He had a pair of three-putts and 31 putts on the day.

“I pulled the drive (on No. 18) in the bunker and made a good bunker shot up there,” DeChambeau said. “I wasted so many shots in putting that it’s sickening.”

Playing in his first Masters has been a great experience for DeChambeau, who plans to turn pro at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, S.C., this week, but Saturday’s round isn’t one he wants to remember.

“At the end of the day, I still shot 5-over today, which is pretty pathetic,” he said.

FRENCH AMATEUR Romain Langasque also had a rough go of it, struggling through the middle of the round and carding an 83.

The 20-year-old British Amateur champion shot 41 on the front nine and was hoping to turn things around after an approach shot to three feet led to a birdie at No. 10. But a wayward drive led to bogey on the 11th hole. He got into more trouble at No. 12, going from the front bunker to the back bunker on his way to a double bogey.