Bryson DeChambeau’s charge up the leaderboard at the 154th Open Championship took a major setback on Friday after the R&A assessed him a two-shot penalty for improving the conditions affecting his stroke during the second round at Royal Birkdale. The ruling changed DeChambeau’s score on the fifth hole from a bogey to a triple bogey, turning his four-under 66 into a two-under 68.
The decision dropped the two-time U.S. Open champion from seven under to five under for the tournament, leaving him tied for fifth instead of one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert. After reviewing the incident with DeChambeau and his caddie, Greg Bodine, R&A rules official Grant Moir explained why the penalty was applied, emphasizing that the Rules of Golf apply even when a player’s actions are accidental.
R&A Explains Why Bryson DeChambeau Received Two-Shot Penalty
The incident occurred on the par-4 fifth hole after DeChambeau drove his tee shot into waist-high rough beyond the red penalty area. Rather than take relief, he chose to play the ball as it lay, moving through the long grass behind the ball before playing his second shot.
Following the round, R&A officials met with DeChambeau and Bodine before returning to the fifth hole to review the situation. After approximately 15 minutes on the course and additional discussions in the scoring area, the R&A confirmed a two-shot penalty under Rule 8.1.
Explaining the ruling, R&A rules official Grant Moir said the issue involved improving the area of DeChambeau’s intended swing.
“Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing… Rule 8-1 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.”
Moir explained that the rule covers any action that creates a potential advantage, even if it is accidental.
“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.”
He added, “I would stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”
Moir also clarified that while players are permitted to take a reasonable stance, they must not move or damage natural objects if doing so improves the area of the intended swing.
“A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance… But when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action.”
Bryson DeChambeau Falls Back After Strong Round at Royal Birkdale
GettyBryson DeChambeau of the United States is driven by a rules offical on a buggy
Before the penalty, DeChambeau believed he had posted a four-under 66 after recovering from the early bogey with birdies on the ninth, 11th, 17th, and 18th holes.
Instead, his score was revised to 68, moving him from solo second to a tie for fifth alongside Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim, three shots behind Herbert entering the weekend.
According to DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, the explanation given was that the golfer “wasn’t careful enough walking around a sensitive area.”
Falkoff also said DeChambeau “wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt.”
Television coverage showed DeChambeau engaged in a lengthy discussion with R&A officials after the round as he repeatedly demonstrated his movements on the fifth hole. Following the review, he left the scoring area without addressing reporters in detail, repeatedly saying, “I’m going to go hit some balls,” as he headed toward the practice range.
The ruling significantly changed the tournament outlook. Before the adjustment, DeChambeau was set to play in Saturday’s final pairing alongside Herbert. Instead, Jackson Suber moved into the final group with the Australian leader, while DeChambeau entered the third round in a tie for fifth at five under.
The penalty also became one of the biggest talking points of the championship, with the R&A maintaining that Rule 8.1 applied because the conditions affecting DeChambeau’s intended swing had been improved, regardless of intent.
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