Bryson DeChambeau finished his second round at The Open Championship just one shot off the lead, rolling in a 4-under 66 at Royal Birkdale to sit at 7 under overall. He was looking at being right on Lucas Herbert’s heels heading into Round 3. But hold up a minute, because a last-second rules adjustment might just shove him way back down the leaderboard before he even tees off again.
The Fescue Fiasco on No. 5
This whole thing blew up right after he finished the 18th hole. DeChambeau, along with Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton, got into a super animated discussion with a rules official. According to the USA Network broadcast, the entire debate was about how the two-time U.S. Open champ played his ball out of the fescue on the fifth hole, which was his only bogey of the day. So here’s the deal: his first drive went out of play, taking a stroke penalty. Then his second attempt slices right of the fairway, deep into that thick, tall grass. The ball gets located, and DeChambeau, trying to get a shot, helped trample down the grass around his ball to clear a path. Now, the rules officials are questioning whether in stepping toward his ball, he actually caused it to move and, get this, improved his lie. It sounds like a super minor thing, but in golf, these details can mean everything! He even drove back out to No. 5 with officials to look over the scene. DeChambeau, known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, was locked in a tense discussion for several minutes. You know it’s serious when they’re out on the course after the round.
One Move, Two Strokes, and A World of Trouble
If the R&A rules official Charlie Maran rules that DeChambeau committed an infraction, we’re talking about a two-stroke penalty. That’s a huge hit! It would drop him from his sweet 7 under all the way down to 5 under. That sudden drop would put him tied for fifth alongside Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim. Think about that: from being one shot off the lead and likely in the final pairing, to being tied for fifth and likely in an earlier group. That is a massive shift in momentum and positioning going into the weekend. This isn’t just a small correction; this is a potential torpedo to his entire Open Championship run. The LIV Golf star played an incredible round, only to have this looming over his head.
So, everyone is waiting to see how this plays out. Round 3 kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, July 18, starting on USA Network at 5 a.m. and then switching to NBC at 7 a.m. You can bet all eyes will be on Bryson and any official announcements before he even takes his first swing. Talk about drama before the weekend even really begins!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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