Bryson DeChambeau joked with members of the gallery at Royal Birkdale about flattening down the rough during his third round of The Open after kicking away some pinecones. His jovial exchange came hours after being penalised two strokes for improving the area of his intended backswing during play on Friday by treading down some long grass.
Penalty Sparks Controversy
Officials ruled he had improved his lie on the fifth hole following his lengthy drive into a dense bush. The 32-year-old contested the decision, insisting that any improvement made was entirely unintentional, yet he was powerless to prevent the additional strokes being added to his scorecard. Dropping those two shots sent the American tumbling down the leaderboard, from second place and one off the overnight lead to three back of Lucas Herbert in tied-for-fifth.
An incensed DeChambeau subsequently refused to address the media regarding the incident, threatened to withdraw from the tournament and left supporters in suspense over whether he would appear on Saturday morning. His agent similarly doubled down, hinting that a decision would be made in due course.
Crowd Reaction at Royal Birkdale
DeChambeau was the centre of attention at The Open on Saturday as spectators made their views abundantly clear regarding his contentious penalty. The LIV Golf star was more than happy to embrace his role as the tournament's pantomime villain. After finally stepping onto the first tee box, he was left in absolutely no doubt about where the crowd's sympathies lay. Before he had even been formally introduced, fans packed into the grandstand rose to their feet to give him a rousing reception, visibly catching DeChambeau off guard.
He duly removed his cap before gesturing appreciatively to the crowd and pointing with his free hand, a clear acknowledgement of their passionate, wholehearted backing. DeChambeau endured a prolonged wait due to the group ahead, Si Woo Kim and Matt Wallace, clearing the fairway, and when he eventually approached again and removed the head cover from his three wood, he received another thunderous reception - a third came when his name was finally called out.
Jovial Exchange on the Fairway
After stepping up and unleashing a colossal drive, with one fan behind crying out, 'f------ hell!' He made his way off the tee box and down the fairway, where he was greeted with enthusiastic shouts of 'let's go, Bryson!' and 'go get 'em, Bryson!' Regrettably for him, his ball had settled in the rough just beyond a left-side ditch. As he approached, he kicked aside some pinecones which were nowhere near his ball. As he did so, he quipped to a few members of the gallery: 'I'm not flattening it down, don't worry!'
Wider Golfing Debate
The incident ignited fierce debate throughout the golfing world, with many feeling the LIV Golf star had been harshly treated. Xander Schauffele suggested he had no idea how players would handle that situation if they were unable to do what DeChambeau did. DeChambeau remains a polarising figure within the sport, but his interaction with fans showed a lighter side amidst the controversy.
