Bryson DeChambeau’s quest for The Open title just got absolutely rocked after he was slammed with a two-shot penalty in wild scenes right after his second round at Royal Birkdale. Dude looked like he was flying high, closing out his round with a four-under 66 to hit seven under par, just one shot off the lead. Then, before he could even catch his breath, rules officials whisked him away for a “discussion” about some alleged shenanigans on the fifth hole. Talk about a gut punch!
What Even Happened On Hole Five?
Turns out, the officials accused DeChambeau of trampling on some seriously long grass near his ball back on the fifth. After a super animated, 20-minute discussion behind closed doors with Open officials, including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, the hammer dropped: a two-shot penalty for “inadvertently improving his lie.” Can you believe it? That pushed him back to five under par and suddenly he’s three shots behind leader Lucas Herbert. He was second on the leaderboard, now he’s tied for fifth at the halfway point. Man, this is brutal for a guy who’s already a two-time US Open champ but has never snagged The Open title.
The R&A’s executive director of governance, Grant Moir, confirmed it, saying Bryson was penalized for “inadvertently improving the area of intended backswing on fifth hole.” And get this, Moir stressed that it applies even when it’s accidental, which apparently it was in Bryson’s case. DP World Tour rules official Graeme Storm totally backed that up, explaining that if you improve your line of play, you improve your lie, and that means a two-shot penalty. Intent doesn’t even matter! You gotta play the course as you find it, plain and simple.
Is He Even Playing Saturday?
Honestly, nobody knows if DeChambeau is even going to play in Saturday’s third round. He refused to confirm anything when he emerged from that recorders’ office. All he would say to the media was, “Are you guys having a great night? I’m having a great night,” before heading off to “hit some balls” on the driving range. He even paused for a selfie with fans before talking to his team on the practice area. That’s a total poker face move, right?
So, what’s next? All eyes are on Royal Birkdale for Saturday’s third round. Will Bryson show up? If he does, he’s got a three-shot deficit to Lucas Herbert staring him in the face. After this kind of mental blow, can he really bounce back and make a run at that Open title he’s never won? This is going to be must-watch golf, whether he’s on the course or not.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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