SOUTHPORT, England — The head of the R&A is standing firmly behind the two-stroke penalty handed to American golfer Bryson DeChambeau following his second round at the British Open on Friday.
DeChambeau had just completed an impressive round of 66, putting him alone in second place on the leaderboard — just one stroke off the lead — when tournament officials determined he had unintentionally improved the area around his intended swing on the fifth hole.
Video footage captured DeChambeau stomping down long grass near where his tee shot had come to rest. After finishing his round, he was transported back to that location in a golf cart alongside an official, where the two were seen in what appeared to be a heated exchange.
He later exited the scorer’s tent having been informed of the two-stroke punishment.
R&A chief executive Mark Darbon addressed the situation Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying, “It was an unfortunate decision but really clear-cut from a rules perspective.”
Darbon also addressed a lighthearted question about whether President Trump — who has a close relationship with the two-time U.S. Open champion — had weighed in. “No. I have not received a call from President Trump and we will see what happens from here,” Darbon replied.
The controversy sparked speculation that DeChambeau might withdraw from the tournament entirely, but he took to X late Friday to say the situation had “fired him up” ahead of the weekend.
He will begin Saturday’s round three strokes behind leader Lucas Herbert, teeing off at 1430 GMT.
Darbon expressed understanding for DeChambeau’s emotional reaction to the ruling. “There was some emotion but I empathise with that. Bryson has played a great round of golf, is in contention at a major championship, he wants to win the golf’s original major,” Darbon said. “We were focused on the ruling and making a fair assessment.”
Fellow American Russell Henley offered some sympathy for DeChambeau on Saturday, suggesting that a player with a lower profile might never have been flagged for the same action. “The issue with that to me is the fact that he’s on TV every shot. If I played that hole yesterday and I did the same thing, maybe they don’t penalise me because maybe they don’t see me do it. That’s the tough part; he’s on TV every single shot,” Henley said after posting a third-round 68.
