Full story
Penalty at Royal Birkdale
Bryson DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty at Royal Birkdale after officials determined he inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing on the par-four fifth hole during the Open Championship.
“Bryson DeChambeau was controversially handed a two-shot penalty after shooting a 66 which had catapulted him into second place in The Open”
The ruling changed DeChambeau’s score on the hole from a bogey 5 to a triple bogey seven, and his 66 to a 68, dropping him from solo second to a share of fifth.
R&A executive director of governance Grant Moir said the penalty was for “inadvertently improving the area of his intended backswing on the fifth hole when he was playing his second shot.”
DeChambeau’s situation unfolded after his tee shot went “way right into the native fescue area,” and he ultimately hacked out, bogeying the hole before the penalty was confirmed.
Heated exchanges and uncertainty
After the penalty decision, DeChambeau refused to confirm whether he would play his third round, instead asking reporters: “Are you having a good night?”
His agent Brett Falkoff was also noncommittal, telling a gaggle of reporters, “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Grant Moir explained the rule basis for the penalty, saying “Rule 8.1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke,” including the area of the player’s intended swing.
In the aftermath, DeChambeau was described as pleading his case in “unprecedented scenes” after signing his card and being informed he would be struck with a two-shot penalty.
Leaderboard impact and stakes
The penalty shifted DeChambeau’s position from one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert to three shots behind, with the Sky Sports account placing him “three strokes behind Lucas Herbert” after his score was amended to a 68.
“Bryson DeChambeau walked off the 18th green in the second round of the 2026 Open Championship pumping his fist and waving to the crowd after a birdie at the last got him to 7 under, one shot back of the lead heading into the weekend at Royal Birkdale”
The New York Times described how R&A officials met with DeChambeau and his caddie, Greg Bodine, and then changed official scoring to reflect DeChambeau’s score as 5-under.
DeChambeau’s agent Brett Falkoff said DeChambeau was “not careful enough walking around a sensitive area,” and also said DeChambeau “wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt.”
With the weekend approaching at Royal Birkdale, the New York Times reported that DeChambeau moved from solo second to tied for fifth with Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim, leaving his chances of winning the Open dependent on how he responds after the rules decision.
