DeChambeau Maintains Two-Stroke Penalty Cost Him Potential Open Championship Victory

Bryson DeChambeau expressed his belief that a retrospective two-shot penalty received during last week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale cost him a legitimate chance at winning the Claret Jug.

DeChambeau appeared to be in dominant form early in the tournament, recording a 67 and a 66. However, his Friday score was adjusted from a 66 to a 68 after officials determined he had improved his area of swing by flattening long grass at the fifth hole. Following a video review, the two-stroke penalty was applied to his round.

The 32-year-old was a consistent presence near the top of the leaderboard, but the penalty caused him to slip from second to fifth place, as his bogey was recalculated as a triple bogey. Despite protesting the ruling and briefly threatening to withdraw, DeChambeau continued through the weekend, shooting a 69 in the third round and a 72 on the final day.

Ultimately, Ryan Fox secured his first major title with a score of 10 under par. DeChambeau finished at four under par, six strokes behind Fox, and remains convinced the penalty was the deciding factor in his performance.

Speaking at the JCB Golf and Country Club during LIV Golf UK, DeChambeau remarked, “I made the cut and put up a good fight. I wish I had pushed harder on Saturday and Sunday; it felt like I was capable of more.”

“If you look at the fifth hole, where I went three over due to the penalty, and the 11th, that’s a six-shot difference. That would have tied me for the lead,” DeChambeau added. “Two holes, and I’m right there for the Claret Jug.”

After missing the cut in his last three major championships, DeChambeau’s T14 finish marked his most successful major performance since finishing as runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at the 2025 PGA Championship.

His heated reaction to the ruling on Friday drew criticism from fellow competitors, most notably Rory McIlroy, who suggested DeChambeau’s conduct was “performative” and intended to garner attention. “I won’t pretend to defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him,” McIlroy stated. “I think it’s for attention.”

When asked about McIlroy’s comments ahead of the 3M Open, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler stated, “I’ve never been a big fan of personal jabs. I don’t think that rivalry is a big thing in golf; my biggest rivalry, week in and week out, is the golf course.”

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