Bryson DeChambeau has expressed his anger on social media after receiving a two‑shot penalty for a contentious rules breach at The Open Championship, but has also moved to allay any concerns he might withdraw. The American appeared to have closed to within a stroke of the halfway lead – backing up his opening‑round 67 with a birdie‑birdie finish to post a four‑under 66 – before being called in to meet with rules officials.
He was deemed to have accidentally improved his lie while standing in dense rough at the par‑four fifth after an errant tee shot. DeChambeau protested his innocence during a tense discussion, but was ultimately penalised under rule 8.1, turning what had been a bogey into a triple‑bogey seven. Despite fears he might walk away from the tournament, the 32‑year‑old has indicated on social media that he intends to continue.
“Obviously disappointed with the ruling,” he posted on X. “I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.” An official statement from the R&A confirmed the penalty. Referee Grant Moir explained: “Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his swing. … This applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”
Before sharing his statement, DeChambeau was quizzed by a journalist about whether he would tee up on Saturday. The LIV Golf star walked straight past without acknowledging the question, while his agent, Brett Falkoff, replied: “Let’s see if he shows up late tomorrow afternoon, your guess is as good as mine.” The penalty knocked DeChambeau from T2 to T5 at six under par.
