Bryson DeChambeau's two-stroke penalty at The Open costs him over £200,000

Bryson DeChambeau's two-stroke penalty at The Open Championship cost him more than £200,000, dropping his prize money from £384,000 to £175,000.

Brit Brief 22/07/2026 06:16

Bryson DeChambeau's two-stroke penalty at The Open costs him over £200,000 — DeChambeau's penalty at The Open costs him over £200,000

Bryson DeChambeau's two-stroke penalty at The Open Championship cost him more than £200,000 in prize money. The LIV Golf star was penalized during the second round at Royal Birkdale after flattening grass during his backswing.

Officials judged the action gave the American a better lie. DeChambeau, 32, said he was simply reading his line and threatened to walk away from the tournament in protest. He made the cut at a major for the first time in 2026.

Penalty impact on standings and prize money

Without the penalty, DeChambeau would have finished tied for sixth and earned £384,000. Instead, he tied for 14th and pocketed £175,000. The penalty also forced third-round tee times to be pushed back as attention remained on the dispute.

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Fellow players weighed in. Scottie Scheffler said DeChambeau is "definitely not a cheater." Rory McIlroy described the incident as "performative."

DeChambeau's response and upcoming events

DeChambeau said the penalty fired him up. He has avoided media since. He is set to compete at LIV Golf UK this week with his Crushers GC team seeking a third win of 2026.