Golfer Bryson DeChambeau received a two-shot penalty during the second round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The decision, which he stated he disagreed with, was issued after officials determined he had inadvertently improved his lie on the fifth hole.
DeChambeau had initially appeared to be one shot off the lead, at seven under par, following a four-under 66 in his second round. However, the penalty pushed him back to five under par, placing him three shots behind leader Lucas Herbert.
Incident and Ruling
The incident occurred on the fifth hole after DeChambeau hit his tee shot into deep rough. Videos reportedly showed the 32-year-old American seemingly trampling down knee-high rough behind his ball. This action was deemed to have violated Rule 8.1 of the R&A’s official Rules of Golf, which concerns improving conditions affecting the stroke.
Grant Moir, the R&A’s executive director of governance, confirmed the penalty, stating that DeChambeau was penalised for “inadvertently improving the area of intended backswing on fifth hole.” Moir emphasised that this rule applies even if the action is accidental. DP World Tour rules official Graeme Storm further explained that improving the line of play for a club constitutes improving the lie, leading to the general penalty of two shots.
Following his round, DeChambeau was engaged in a lengthy discussion with rules officials, including Moir and R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. The conversation, which involved a trip back to the fifth hole, was described as animated, with DeChambeau appearing frustrated.
After more than 20 minutes in the recorders’ office, the two-shot penalty was confirmed. DeChambeau later expressed his disappointment on social media, stating, “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”
Aftermath and Reaction
The decision led to a dramatic shift in the leaderboard, moving DeChambeau from solo second to tied for fifth alongside Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim. Jackson Suber, who had held the first-round lead, was then placed in the final group for Saturday afternoon with Herbert.
DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, commented that the explanation for the penalty was that DeChambeau was “not careful enough walking around a sensitive area,” and that he “wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt.”
Despite the setback, DeChambeau headed to the driving range after the ruling, where he spent time hitting balls. He declined to answer questions from reporters about the incident, instead making comments such as, “I’m going to go hit some balls” and later asking, “How does my swing look?” The golfer remained on the range until almost 22:30 BST.
Earlier in the week, three-time Open champion Nick Faldo had questioned DeChambeau’s strategy, suggesting he lacked a clear approach for the Merseyside links. DeChambeau’s performance on Friday, prior to the penalty, had seen him navigate increasing afternoon winds effectively. Former European Tour winner Andrew Murray praised DeChambeau’s patience and short game during the round.
DeChambeau’s social media post indicated his intention to compete in round three on Saturday, where he was scheduled to be paired with Sam Burns.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Harry Loxley is a Senior Football Correspondent at NewsGB.org. He spent his early career reporting East Midlands football. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Derby and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Derby, he watches non-league and runs a fan podcast. “Good football writing follows the people, not just the points.”