Bryson DeChambeau Was One Shot Off The Lead, Then Royal Birkdale Hit Him With *This*

Bryson DeChambeau just got slapped with a two-shot penalty after his second round at The Open at Royal Birkdale, completely shaking up the leaderboard and pushing him back from a prime spot. The American was looking absolutely locked in, carving out a four-under 66 that had him sitting pretty at seven under par, just one shot off the lead.

The Penalty That Rocked Round Two

But the celebration was short-lived. Rules officials pulled him aside right after he walked off the course to talk about an infringement on the fifth hole. DeChambeau was accused of trampling down long grass near his ball. After a long discussion with Open officials, it was confirmed: a two-shot penalty for “inadvertently improving his lie.” This absolutely brutal call dropped him two strokes, landing him at five under par, now a full three shots behind leader Lucas Herbert. Grant Moir, the R&A’s executive director of governance, straight up said Bryson was penalized for “inadvertently improving the area of intended backswing on fifth hole,” stressing that it applies even if it’s accidental. DP World Tour rules official Graeme Storm backed it up, saying, “Whether that’s intentional doesn’t really matter. If you improve your line of play you’re improving your lie so you get the general penalty of two shots.” Man, that’s rough.

“This Fires Me Up”: DeChambeau’s Fiery Response

You know DeChambeau wasn’t happy about this, right? He looked extremely frustrated during that animated discussion with officials near the incident spot. He even walked past the media, only smiling and asking, “Are you guys having a great night? I’m having a great night” before heading to the driving range. But he didn’t hold back on X, writing, “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.” That’s the competitor talking! This penalty pushed him from second place all the way down to tied fifth at the halfway mark.

So, yeah, this Open just got a whole lot spicier. DeChambeau is clearly not letting this knock him down, saying it “fires him up.” He’s got the weekend now to prove that fire is real and try to claw back those shots. You know he’s going to come out swinging after this.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.