Justin Thomas expressed frustration after a lengthy delay in setting third-round tee times at The Open Championship, following a controversial penalty against Bryson DeChambeau. The delay resulted from a ruling that took officials over 90 minutes to finalize after DeChambeau completed his round on Friday.
DeChambeau's Penalty and Fallout
DeChambeau, 32, received a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving his lie on the fifth hole at Royal Birkdale. He stepped back to flatten long grass while reading his shot, which officials deemed a rules violation. DeChambeau argued he was only trying to assess his shot, but the R&A upheld the penalty under Rule 8.1, which prohibits improving conditions affecting the stroke, even accidentally.
The LIV Golf star threatened to withdraw from the tournament in protest but ultimately decided to continue. He wrote on X: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”
Justin Thomas' Social Media Outburst
Thomas, a 16-time PGA Tour winner, took to social media at 10:38 p.m. local time to demand clarity. He posted: “Can we get some 3rd round tee times please???” The delay meant players were kept waiting for their schedules when they might have preferred to rest.
Impact on Leaderboard
Without the penalty, DeChambeau would have been just one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert after shooting a four-under 66 on Friday, following a three-under 67 in the first round. Instead, he fell into a tie for fifth with Sam Burns and Kim Si-woo.
Officials Explain the Ruling
R&A referee Grant Moir explained the decision: “Rule 8.1 restricts what the player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke. This includes the area of the player's intended swing. Improvement means to alter one or more conditions so the player gains a potential advantage. This applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson's case. The player must not move, bend, or break any growing or attached natural object. A player is allowed to take reasonable actions to take a stance, but must take the least intrusive course of action.”
DeChambeau's Recent Struggles
The penalty adds to DeChambeau's disappointing major season, having missed the cut at the first three majors of 2026. This drew criticism from Sir Nick Faldo, who said DeChambeau had “zero clue of strategy.”
