Bryson DeChambeau placed a 3D-printed 5-iron in his bag for his opening round at the 2026 Masters Tournament on Thursday.
No, this was not a stunt for one of his YouTube channel challenges or a LIV Golf special event. This was DeChambeau, forever the experimenter, choosing to bring a self-made golf club to the sport’s most popular tournament.
It was a bold decision—one that could have been an interesting talking point had his first round gone better. Instead, DeChambeau will enter the second round Friday tied for 56th place after posting a 4-over 76 on Thursday.
His struggles were hardly the 3D-printed 5-iron club’s fault. DeChambeau told reporters after the round that he used the custom-made club once during his opening round on the 7th hole. DeChambeau hit two iron shots on the 7th hole—one off the tee for 258 yards, and another 193 yards that soared over the green and into the bunker.
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DeChambeau plopped his bunker shot three feet away from the pin and tapped in for par.
“It was great on seven,” DeChambeau said of his 5-iron after the round. “Hit a good second shot. Wind didn’t hit it off the left. Irons are still something I have to work on.”
DeChambeau first informed the media of his intentions to play with a 3D-printed 5-iron on Wednesday following a nine-hole practice round at Augusta. According to The Athletic, the USGA did investigate the club and confirmed that it did meet regulations to use in competition after DeChambeau made a few tweaks to it.
DeChambeau told reporters Thursday that it takes about 36 hours from start to finish to make a 3D-printed club. He didn’t want to expand on it much more than that, though.
"That's a longer conversation,” he said. “It's not for here."
Unbelievable sequence from Bryson DeChambeau on his 3D printed 5 iron after a 4 over 76 today at the Masters.
— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) April 9, 2026
Reporter: “are you satisfied with the 5?”
Bryson: “yeah, I mean, I only hit it once today, so…”
Reporter: “how long does it take to make one?”
Bryson: “prints in… pic.twitter.com/j1t0YxwdCI
Where Bryson DeChambeau stands heading into Friday’s second round
DeChambeau will play alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick again on Friday. The threesome is scheduled to tee off at 1:20 p.m. ET.
DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open winner, has never claimed the green jacket. He had his best showing at the Masters with a fifth-place finish last year, but collapsed out of contention to win on Sunday with a 3-over 75.
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The 32-year-old was even through 10 holes on Thursday, but he imploded with a triple-bogey on the par-4 11th. His second shot found its way into the bunker, and he took three shots to get out.
DeChambeau would now have to make Masters history to come back and win a green jacket. The worst first-round score by a Masters winner was a 75 by Craig Stadler in 1982.
So, what’s DeChambeau’s plan for Friday to get back on track?
“I’m just going to give what the golf course gives me,” he said. “I’ve just got to hit my irons better. I drove it left numerous occasions. I hit a great drive on 18, wind didn’t hurt it like we thought. That’s this game. That’s the golf course. Everybody has an ability for weird things to happen, and today I just didn’t have my irons under control.”
We’ll see if he pulls out the self-produced 5-iron on Friday.
More Masters coverage from Sports Illustrated
- This Masters Will Be Won By a Past Champion
- Jordan Spieth Was Unbothered By an Unexpected Distraction
- Scottie Scheffler, Despite Layoff, Lurking After Day 1 of Masters
- Good, Bad and Ugly Masters Round 1: A Disastrous Day for LIV Golf
- Masters Contenders Know Conditions Will Only Get Tougher at Augusta National
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryson DeChambeau Brought a 3D-Printed Club to the Masters. Things Could Be Going Better..
