Bryson DeChambeau Puts Krank Back in Play at The Open
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One of the biggest equipment stories at The Open happened before Bryson DeChambeau struck his first official tee shot at Royal Birkdale.
The Krank Golf Formula FIRE PRO TOUR Driver was back in his bag.
That alone made the opening round worth watching closely.
DeChambeau had moved away from his Krank driver earlier in the year while testing a prototype TaylorMade driver. The change attracted attention because Krank had been such a significant part of his equipment setup, and because he used a Krank driver during his victory at the 2024 U.S. Open.
But when DeChambeau arrived at Royal Birkdale for the final major championship of 2026, he returned to something familiar.
Golf Monthly reported that DeChambeau had switched back to his Krank driver, to help him eliminate the left side of the course and find more fairways.Golf Monthly
For Krank Golf, the significance was difficult to miss.
Bryson was hitting Krank again and he chose to make the switch at The Open Championship.
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Bryson DeChambeau does not make equipment decisions casually.
Few professional golfers are more closely associated with testing, measuring, adjusting and challenging traditional ideas about golf equipment. He studies launch, spin, ball speed, face angle, shaft characteristics and shot shape in extraordinary detail.
That is why his decision to return to Krank matters.
This was not simply a player pulling an old favorite out of the garage. It was a competitive decision made before one of the most important tournaments of the year.
Royal Birkdale presents a very different challenge from the wide-open courses where DeChambeau can overpower the layout with raw speed. Links golf demands patience, strategy and the ability to control the golf ball in changing wind conditions.
A poorly positioned drive can find deep rough, a pot bunker or an angle that makes the next shot far more difficult. Distance remains an advantage, but only when the player trusts where the ball is going.
He did not simply want a driver that could produce more speed.
He wanted a driver he could trust.
Krank Was Back and Golf Took Notice
The return was quickly confirmed through tournament coverage and equipment photography.
GolfWRX’s July 2026 What’s in the Bag report listed DeChambeau’s driver as a Krank Formula FIRE Pro at six degrees, paired with a Project X HZRDUS T1100 6.5 shaft. The report also included detailed photographs of the Krank equipment in his bag at Royal Birkdale.GolfWRX
Krank also shared video from the opening round showing DeChambeau driving the ball at The Open with the Formula FIRE PRO TOUR.
On one tee shot, the broadcast reaction told the story:
“This looks like a great tee shot.”
Then, as the ball finished safely down the fairway:
“That is absolutely perfect.”
For Krank Golf, there may not have been a better way to announce the driver’s return.
There was no staged product demonstration, controlled launch-monitor session or carefully edited commercial. It was Bryson DeChambeau standing on the tee during a major championship and putting the Krank driver into play.
The Opening Round Backed Up the Decision
DeChambeau opened The Open with a 3-under-par 67, putting himself firmly in contention after the first round.
Golf Monthly reported that he gained nearly two strokes on the field from his play off the tee. He did not hit every fairway, but the driver gave him the ability to attack the course and recover from difficult positions while maintaining the distance advantage that has defined his game.
The round also carried additional weight because DeChambeau entered the championship facing questions about his recent major-championship form and his ability to adapt his aggressive style to links golf.
Instead of backing away from his identity, he committed to it.
He played aggressively. He trusted his equipment. He placed himself near the top of the leaderboard.
And the Krank driver was part of that performance.
No single club determines the outcome of a round. DeChambeau’s score was the result of his complete game, preparation and course strategy.
But equipment matters when a player must stand over a major-championship tee shot and commit fully to the swing.
At Royal Birkdale, Bryson chose Krank.
More Than a Familiar Driver
The most important part of this story is not that DeChambeau returned to a driver he had used before.
It is when he returned to it.
He chose the Formula FIRE PRO TOUR when the golf world was watching and when every shot mattered. He chose it after testing another direction. He chose it because he believed the setup gave him what he needed to compete at The Open.
That says more than any advertisement could.
It also adds another chapter to a relationship that has already produced major moments. DeChambeau first put Krank into tournament play in 2023, won the 2024 U.S. Open with Krank at the top of his bag and has continued using Krank Drivers and Fairway Woods throughout the 2026 season.
Now the driver is back.
For Krank golfers, that return reinforces something they already know: the company’s equipment is not simply built to generate impressive numbers under controlled conditions. It is built to be swung hard, trusted under pressure and used by golfers who refuse to compromise on performance.
Why Bryson’s Return Matters
One of the longest hitters in golf continues searching for the equipment that gives him the best combination of:
- Speed
- Control
- Shot shape
- Confidence
Bryson did not return to Krank because every driver is the same.
He returned because this driver gave him something he wanted when he stood on the tee.
That is where the story connects with every golfer.
The right driver is not simply the newest driver, the most heavily advertised driver or the driver played by the most professionals. It is the one that allows a golfer to swing freely and trust the result.
Bryson DeChambeau tested another option.
Then, with The Open Championship beginning at Royal Birkdale, he put the Krank Golf Formula FIRE PRO TOUR Driver back in his hands.
And that may be the strongest statement he could make about it.
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