Bryson Dechambeau Might Ditch British Open After Controversial Two-stroke Penalty

Bryson DeChambeau thought he had vanished Day 2 of nan British Open successful 2nd spot and conscionable 1 changeable disconnected nan lead.

He apparently thinks that should still beryllium nan lawsuit — but it’s not.

After a lenghty, and astatine times animated, chat involving DeChambeau, his caddie and officials, nan U.S. golfer was assessed a two-stroke punishment that dropped him into a fifth-place necktie and 3 strokes back.

Grant Moir, executive head of governance for The R&A, told reporters that DeChambeau was penalized “for inadvertently improving nan area of his ... intended backswing connected nan 5th spread erstwhile he was playing his 2nd shot.”

Moir added that nan punishment “applies moreover erstwhile nan action is accidental, arsenic it was successful Bryson’s case.”

DeChambeau sent his tee changeable 257 yards but acold disconnected to nan correct into gangly fescue grass. He needed to measurement precocious to get to nan shot but was capable to deed it retired of nan area, yet making bogey connected nan par-four hole. That people was later changed to triple-bogey, and DeChambeau officially vanished nan time astatine two-under 68.

“The subordinate mustn’t move, crook aliases break immoderate increasing aliases attached earthy object,” Moir said. “A subordinate is allowed to reasonably return their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to nan shot and return a stance if successful immoderate situations that improves nan information affecting nan stroke, but erstwhile doing truthful nan subordinate must return nan slightest intrusive people of action to woody pinch nan peculiar business and is not entitled to normal stance aliases swing.”

At 1 constituent during his chat pinch Moir, DeChambeau appeared to authorities that he mightiness not play nan adjacent day. He did not speak pinch reporters afterward, different than to opportunity he thought he played awesome and that he was going to deed balls connected nan driving range.

His agent, Brett Falkoff, said DeChambeau was told he was “not observant capable stepping astir a delicate area,” adding that his customer “certainly feels he was unfairly penalized.”

Asked if DeChambeau would play Saturday, Falkoff said, “Your conjecture is arsenic bully arsenic mine.”

DeChambeau reportedly stayed retired connected nan driving scope until aft dark, astatine times whistling, humming and singing while hitting balls and offering reporters snacks.

Lucas Herbert leads aft nan 2nd information astatine eight-under, 2 strokes up of Jackson Suber, Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard.