DeChambeau receives two-stroke penalty at Open Championship after rules review

Bryson DeChambeau finished the second round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale with a 66, moving to 7-under and one shot behind the leader. Shortly after completing his round, tournament officials approached him about a possible breach of the Rules of Golf. The R&A’s rules chief, Grant Moir, said DeChambeau was penalised two strokes for unintentionally improving the area of his intended backswing on the fifth hole, where he stepped on thick grass to reach his ball.

The penalty changed DeChambeau’s score on the hole from a bogey to a triple-bogey, resulting in a 68 for the round and a tie for fifth place, three shots behind leader Lucas Herbert. After the ruling, DeChambeau confirmed on social media that he would continue in the tournament.

Moir explained that the penalty applies regardless of intent, stating that any action that provides a potential advantage warrants a penalty. DeChambeau later said he would practice on the range before the next round.

The incident follows a period of mixed results for DeChambeau in major championships earlier in the year, but his performance at the Open kept him in contention heading into the final round.