Bryson DeChambeau receives two-stroke penalty at The Open
Bryson DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty following his second round at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The penalty, issued by The R&A, was for “inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing” on the fifth hole. This decision dropped DeChambeau from solo second place to a tie for fifth.
The R&A determined that DeChambeau improved his lie before hitting his second shot at the par-4 fifth. Consequently, his score on the hole was adjusted from a bogey to a triple bogey, changing his round from a 4-under 66 to a 68. After the penalty, DeChambeau stood at 5-under for the tournament.
Penalty decision and player reaction
DeChambeau was informed of the penalty after his round, which led to The R&A and DeChambeau returning to the fifth hole to review the incident. He was observed making his case, but the decision stood. The interaction reportedly lasted approximately 15 minutes.
Grant Moir, the executive director of governance for The R&A, clarified that the penalty, under Rule 8-1, applies even if the action was accidental, as he stated it was in DeChambeau’s situation. Moir explained that a player is prohibited from moving, bending, or breaking any natural growing object. While players can take reasonable actions to get to the ball and assume a stance, they must use the least intrusive method and are not entitled to a normal stance or swing.
Some observers expressed skepticism regarding the penalty. Jessica Marksbury suggested DeChambeau deserved the benefit of the doubt, noting that he did not appear to be intentionally clearing grass or improving his lie. Jake Morrow echoed this sentiment, stating that the lie itself was never improved and that DeChambeau’s actions were part of a normal pre-shot routine. Morrow also highlighted that officials acknowledged the action was accidental but still imposed the penalty.
Josh Sens agreed that DeChambeau should be given the benefit of the doubt regarding his intent. However, Sens also noted that the video appeared to show DeChambeau stepping on tall grass behind his ball, which could make the backswing easier. Nick Piastowski and Josh Schrock supported the penalty, citing Rule 8.1a, which prohibits altering natural objects in a way that improves the area of an intended swing, regardless of intent. Schrock described it as a significant call by The R&A to protect the sport.
Impact on the tournament
The penalty significantly altered the tournament’s dynamics. DeChambeau had initially made a bogey at the par-4 fifth after driving his ball into a penalty area. He then made birdies on the ninth, 11th, 17th, and 18th holes to move up the leaderboard. With the two-stroke penalty, his bogey was changed to a triple bogey.
DeChambeau was originally scheduled to play in Saturday’s final pairing alongside Lucas Herbert. Following the penalty, he now trails the lead by three strokes and is tied with Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim. Some commentators suggested that DeChambeau’s reaction, including a potential threat not to play the weekend, was juvenile, while others hoped it would serve as motivation for him to continue competing for the win.
The R&A’s executive director, governance, Grant Moir, stated that the penalty applied even though the action was accidental.
Read Also
Source: golf.com
