Bryson DeChambeau's participation in the Open Championship was in doubt until after midnight on Friday after extraordinary scenes at the conclusion of his second round at Royal Birkdale. The American was handed a two-stroke penalty for improving the line of his swing in thick rough, prompting a furious response. The sanction shifted DeChambeau from second place, one stroke behind leader Lucas Herbert, to a tie for fifth.
Penalty Incident and Dispute
DeChambeau appeared to have shot an excellent second round of 66. However, before signing his card, he was brought into discussions with a tournament referee and Grant Moir, an executive director of the R&A. The incident occurred on the 5th hole, where DeChambeau was alleged to have trampled down grass behind his ball before playing. He insisted on returning to the scene with a club to prove his innocence, but the penalty stood. DeChambeau then indicated he would not play the third round if the penalty remained.
Shortly after midnight, DeChambeau posted on social media: “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.”
R&A Statement and Aftermath
Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A, joined the talks after DeChambeau returned to the scoring area. The player's five on the 5th was modified to a seven. After 10pm, DeChambeau was still practicing on the range, pounding drives while offering snacks to reporters. When asked if he would tee up on Saturday, he said: “I’m going to practise, guys.”
Grant Moir stated that the penalty was for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing. “Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing,” Moir said. “Ruling 1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke. This applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”
Impact on Leaderboard and Other Players
DeChambeau's penalty dropped him to five under par, tied with Sam Burns and Kim Si-woo. Lucas Herbert leads at eight under after missing a 5ft putt that would have given him a record 61. Jackson Suber, Ryan Gerard, and Cameron Young are at six under. Jon Rahm received a warning for throwing a club, meaning a two-stroke penalty for a repeat offence. Justin Thomas complained about delayed tee times. Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth, Brian Harman, Joaquin Niemann, Wyndham Clark, and Cameron Smith missed the cut.
