Open penalty decision
Bryson DeChambeau reportedly threatened to contact Donald Trump during a dispute with senior R&A officials regarding a two-shot penalty at The Open. The American golfer received the penalty on Friday after the second round for allegedly improving his swing line by standing on long grass behind his ball on Royal Birkdale’s fifth hole. This incident became a significant talking point during the 2026 Open.
The R&A, the tournament organisers, stated that DeChambeau’s actions, though accidental, constituted a rule breach. The penalty moved him out of second place. Following the decision, DeChambeau is understood to have argued his case vigorously, including returning to the scene of the incident with the R&A’s head of governance and a senior referee.
Upon his return to the scoring area, and with the R&A maintaining its stance, chief executive Mark Darbon joined the discussion. It was during this conversation that DeChambeau reportedly stated he would call Trump if the matter was not resolved in his favour. There is no evidence to suggest such a call actually took place. DeChambeau did not engage with mainstream media throughout The Open, and the R&A has not commented on the alleged Trump connection, which was initially reported by the Quadrilateral.
Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, defended DeChambeau, stating he is “definitely not a cheater.” Scheffler, who played with DeChambeau during the incident, suggested that while DeChambeau might have been “a touch careless” near his ball, he did not believe any actions were intentional. Scheffler also noted the difficulty of making conclusive judgments from video replay angles.
Player reactions and aftermath
The two-shot penalty meant DeChambeau’s round of 66, which he initially believed placed him one shot off the lead, was adjusted, impacting his chances for the Claret Jug. After subsequent rounds of 69 and 72, he finished six shots behind the eventual champion, Ryan Fox.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who has expressed he is “not fond of” DeChambeau, asserted there was “no doubt” that DeChambeau had improved his backswing line. McIlroy further accused his rival of holding The Open to “hostage” due to the dispute. He also criticised DeChambeau’s reported reluctance to play over the weekend following the penalty, viewing it as putting himself above the game.
Despite the controversy, DeChambeau received a warm reception from the Birkdale crowd when he began his third round on Saturday, though some isolated shouts of “cheat” were heard. After Saturday’s round, DeChambeau reportedly went to Darbon’s office to request his second-round scorecard, an unusual request that was declined by the R&A’s chief executive.
The R&A’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, described the two-shot penalty as a “clear-cut decision from a rules perspective.” DeChambeau, however, continued to express his dissatisfaction. Despite initial doubts about his continuation in the tournament, he later stated on Friday that the decision would “fire” him up for the weekend.
DeChambeau has remained in the UK to participate in LIV Golf’s event at the JCB Golf and Country Club, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday. His tied-14th finish at The Open marked his best performance in a major tournament during 2026.
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Source: theguardian.com
As Latest News UK's Sports Reporter, Hannah Whitfield reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name covering the county circuit and Team GB at two Commonwealth Games. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from Loughborough University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Hannah lives in Bristol, where she plays club tennis and coaches a junior side. “Sport is at its best when you let the athletes tell the story.”