DeChambeau disputes two-shot penalty at Royal Birkdale
Bryson DeChambeau has expressed his disagreement with a two-shot penalty issued during the second round of The Open at Royal Birkdale. The American golfer was initially positioned one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert after a round of 66, placing him at seven under par. However, officials intervened after his round to address a rules infringement.
The penalty stemmed from an incident on the fifth hole, where DeChambeau was accused of trampling on long grass near his ball. Following an extended discussion with Open rules officials, it was confirmed that he received a two-shot penalty for “inadvertently improving the area of intended backswing.” This decision moved him to five under par, three shots behind Herbert.
DeChambeau took to social media platform X, 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.” Earlier, he had declined to answer questions from the media after emerging from the recorders’ office, where he spent over 20 minutes discussing the matter with officials, including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
When approached by journalists, DeChambeau responded, “Are you guys having a great night? I’m having a great night.” He then indicated he was going to “hit some balls” and proceeded to the driving range, where he interacted with fans before speaking with his team.
The Rules Infringement
The incident occurred after DeChambeau hit an errant drive into deep rough on the fifth hole. Videos reportedly showed the golfer appearing to step on knee-high rough behind his ball. Officials determined that DeChambeau had not “played the course as it is found,” thereby violating Rule 8.1, which pertains to actions that “improve conditions affecting the stroke.” This rule specifically includes the area of a player’s intended swing, which DeChambeau was found to have interfered with.
Grant Moir, the R&A‘s executive director of governance, clarified the ruling: “Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of intended backswing on fifth hole.” Moir emphasized that this rule applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in DeChambeau’s situation. He further explained that an improvement means altering conditions affecting the stroke to gain a potential advantage, and this applies to the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, downswing, or completion of the swing.
DP World Tour rules official Graeme Storm, who was providing commentary for 5 Live radio, commented on the situation. He noted that DeChambeau had improved the line of play for his club to hit the ball, and whether intentional or not, improving the line of play constitutes improving one’s lie, leading to a general penalty of two shots. Storm added that video evidence suggested DeChambeau improved his line of play by stepping on the long grass behind it.
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley also weighed in, stating that the breach occurred early on when DeChambeau stood behind the ball, bedding down the grass and potentially improving his backswing. He described it as a “clear breach.”
Post-Round Developments
The penalty dramatically altered DeChambeau’s standing, moving him from second to a tie for fifth. After his initial birdie on the 18th hole, which would have placed him one shot behind Herbert, the subsequent rules investigation unfolded. Live images on a big screen showed DeChambeau in an animated discussion with rules officials, with his body language suggesting frustration.
Following the confirmation of the penalty, DeChambeau declined further media engagement and headed to the driving range, where he continued to hit balls until almost 22:30 BST. Reports from Golf Channel‘s Rex Hoggard initially suggested DeChambeau was undecided about continuing in the tournament, planning to make a final decision on Saturday morning before the third round. However, DeChambeau later confirmed his intention to play through his post on X.
Prominent golf commentator Brandel Chamblee described DeChambeau’s actions as “childish” and “immature,” asserting that the rules officials acted correctly based on clear evidence. Chamblee argued that DeChambeau needed to accept the consequences of his actions, even if accidental, and highlighted that the issue was whether his actions improved the conditions affecting the stroke, which he believed they clearly did. The incident added a layer of drama to an already eventful day at Royal Birkdale.
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Source: bbc.com
