Bryson DeChambeau’s hopes of winning the Open were dealt a major blow after the American was awarded a penalty after his second round at Royal Birkdale.
The two-time major champion appeared to have moved to within one shot of leader Lucas Herbert after a four-under-par 66, but was called aside by rules officials immediately after leaving the course to discuss a possible rules violation.
After a lengthy review, DeChambeau was penalized for “inadvertently improving his lie” on the fifth hole, dropping him from seven under par to five under par and leaving him three shots behind Herbert heading into the weekend.
The 32-year-old was investigated after television footage showed him stepping in the tall grass behind his ball before hitting the shot.
After spending more than 20 minutes with officials, including R&A CEO Marc Darbonne, DeChambeau declined to discuss the ruling or confirm whether he would continue in the tournament.
DeChambeau is angry about the decision
When asked by reporters, he simply replied: “Are you guys having a great night? I’m having a great night.”
He then headed to the driving range, where he greeted the fans and continued training with his team.
The accident occurred after DeChambeau birdied the 18th to complete his round before being returned to the fifth hole with rules officials reviewing the situation.
He was later found to have violated Rule 8.1, which covers actions that improve conditions affecting a player’s stroke.
“Bryson was penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the intended backswing area on the fifth hole,” R&D rules official Grant Muir confirmed.
The punishment leaves DeChambeau with a great opportunity for redemption if he wants to win his first Open Championship title.
