Bryson DeChambeau receives two-stroke penalty at The Open, remains in tournament

Bryson DeChambeau finished the second round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale with a 66, placing him one stroke behind the leader. Shortly after completing his round, tournament officials informed him of a possible rules breach on the fifth hole, where he had stepped onto long grass after his tee shot. The R&A rules chief, Grant Moir, said the action "inadvertently improved the area of his intended backswing" and applied a two-stroke penalty, changing his score on the hole from a bogey to a triple-bogey and moving him to a tie for fifth place.

DeChambeau initially expressed uncertainty about playing the third round, but later posted on social media that he would remain in the competition. He spent time on the practice range before the next round began. The penalty does not depend on whether the advantage was intentional, according to Moir, who stated that any potential advantage warrants a penalty.

The incident follows a period of mixed results for DeChambeau in major championships earlier in the season. He had previously missed cuts at the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open, making this his first sub-par round at a major in 2026. He now stands three strokes behind leader Lucas Herbert as the tournament continues.