ROYAL BIRKDALE — Bryson DeChambeau refused to confirm that he would play on at the Open Championship after a heated argument with rules officials.
The American had finished the day in second place at Birkdale, and was expected to go out in the last group on Saturday, only for The Royal and Ancient (R&A) organisers to announce that he had been given a two-shot penalty late on Friday evening.
The 32-year-old headed to the range to practise after his round, but when quizzed as to whether he would quit the tournament in protest, failed to answer either way.
What happened?
At the fifth hole, a drivable par-four, DeChambeau sliced his drive way right into the rough. With grass growing waist-high, he was lucky to find his ball but did so and prepared to play his approach to the green.
DeChambeau hits out of the rough shortly after what was later ruled to be an illegal move (Photo: AP)With 72 yards left to the pin, he hacked it out of the rough over the green, and could only make a bogey five – or so he thought.
DeChambeau was subsequently told afterwards that he had been given a two-stroke penalty for “inadvertently improving” his lie before hitting that second shot. Footage showed him stepping through the long grass towards his ball, but it is not totally clear whether he stepped directly behind his ball, an illegal action that would have made it easier to get his club to the ball.
The LIV Golf poster boy was determined to argue his case, heading back out to the fifth hole with officials late on Friday evening to discuss the ruling – but it was in vain as he was demoted from second to fifth at the halfway stage of the Open.
Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty at the Open for "inadvertently improving his lie", having been accused of trampling on long grass close to his ball on the fifth hole. pic.twitter.com/tNSbbEPTBw
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 17, 2026What is the rule?
Grant Moir, the R&A’s chief referee, explained that “Ruling 1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke, and this includes the area of the player’s intended swing.”
He added: “So an improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke. Now, I’ll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.
DeChambeau was coy on his plans for Saturday (Photo: Reuters)“A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance, if in some situations that improves the condition affecting the stroke, but when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.”
What did DeChambeau say?
DeChambeau fumed at officials after being informed of the penalty, even driving back to the scene of the alleged incident to remonstrate with the referee, and also discussing it with R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
DeChambeau appeared to be shown videos of similar, unpenalised incidents while on the range (Photo: Getty)When he returned, he was tight-lipped on the incident, heading to the range for an unexpected practice session and telling reporters: “Are you guys having a great night? I’m having a great night.”
He headed to the practice range to hit some late-night balls shortly afterwards.
What next?
The question on everyone’s lips now is whether DeChambeau will play on Saturday after appearing so affronted by the R&A’s decision.
Agent Brett Falkoff said: “He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a cheater.
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James Gray: I followed Bryson DeChambeau for two days and his behaviour surprised me Ian Baker-Finch: I won the Open but I quit golf sobbing on the floor at Troon“He’ll see how he feels [about playing on Saturday]. But he certainly feels he was unfairly penalised.”
He added: “They just felt that he was not careful enough in walking around a sensitive area around his golf ball, so that he improved his swing path when the swing path was not even anywhere near the grass.”
DeChambeau did not leave the range until 10.30pm, when it was virtually dark and there was one solitary fan still there waiting for a selfie.
However, he later wrote 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.”
DeChambeau will tee off at 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon.
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