The Open Championship devolved into chaos Friday night at Royal Birkdale when the R&A notified Bryson DeChambeau after his round that he was being assessed a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving his lie on the 5th hole.
The scene that unfolded over the next two hours will be burned into major-championship history. DeChambeau and R&A officials went back out to the scene of the infraction and television cameras caught him wildly gesticulating as his case fell on deaf ears. He then threatened not to continue to play in the tournament if he was docked two shots.
After hitting balls on a pitch-black range, DeChambeau eventually left Royal Birkdale and later announced on X that he planned to continue the tournament. The penalty dropped DeChambeau from seven under and one back to five under and three back.
On Saturday, R&A CEO Mark Darbon reiterated that whether DeChambeau intended to improve his lie is not the issue, and that there was no doubt it was a penalty.
“It was an unfortunate decision but really clear-cut from a rules perspective,” Darbon told the BBC. “So, obviously, our team discussed it. The final decision sits with our chief referee, and we have a responsibility to our championship and to the rest of the field.
“And so, irrespective of which player this affected, it’s the same decision. From a rules perspective, it was clear-cut.”
DeChambeau’s threat to WD from the tournament prevented third-round tee times from going out to players. Englishman Marco Penge called getting the tee times at past 11 p.m. “a joke.” Rory McIlroy tore into DeChambeau for his actions after being assessed the penalty.
“I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson,” McIlroy said after his third round. “I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention. To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.”
Darbon understood why DeChambeau reacted the way he did, given that he walked off the course after finishing his second round with a birdie flurry to get within one of the lead.
“It’s fair to say there was some emotion around that, and we will keep some of the aspects of that discussion private,” Darbon said. “There was some emotion, but I empathize 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. We were focused on the ruling and making a fair assessment.”
Darbon was then light-heartedly asked if he had heard from President Donald Trump about the penalty. DeChambeau and Trump are close, and DeChambeau is the chairman of Trump’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Given that Trump recently called FIFA to ask that United States men’s soccer star Folarin Balogun’s red card be reviewed before the U.S.’s Round of 16 game against Belgium, it’s fair to wonder if Trump would insert himself into this matter as well. FIFA reviewed Balogun’s red card and ultimately decided to postpone his one-game suspension, allowing the striker to play.
“No,” Darbon said. “I have not received a call from President Trump and we will see what happens from here.”
On Saturday morning, Nick Faldo, who criticized DeChambeau’s lack of Open strategy earlier this week, went on Sky Sports and accused DeChambeau of “losing the plot” as he threatened to withdraw from the championship.
“No player is bigger than the game. Jack [Nicklaus], Arnold [Palmer] have left the arena, and golf has gone on,” Faldo said. “Tiger [Woods] has gone quiet; golf has gone on.
“Once you’re done, golf goes on. If he disappeared tomorrow, we’ll say that was tough but we will go on.”
In the end, DeChambeau elected not to withdraw in protest. He posted several photos on Instagram on Friday night, including two doctored ones showing him floating above the fescue at Royal Birkdale. DeChambea’s photos were also accompanied by the song Legacy by Pixy with these lyrics playing: “I don’t know why they hate on me. They can smell the legacy I’m standing on supremacy Got b—-s tryna come for me.”
Asked about DeChambeau’s social-media activity in the wake of the penalty, Darbon elected not to assume the intent behind the post.
“I think it’s an assumption to imply what Bryson is trying to communicate through his social media posts so it’s not my place to comment on that.”
