Bryson DeChambeau threatens to pull out of British Open after heated penalty strokes drama

SOUTHPORT, England — Only Bryson DeChambeau. 

He simply cannot get out of his own way.

One day after declining to speak to the media following a 3-under-par 67 that had him one shot off the British Open lead at Royal Birkdale, the temperamental but talented DeChambeau became embroiled in a rules controversy late Friday that ended with him being assessed a two-shot penalty.

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The penalty, which was assessed when R&A officials determined that he illegally improved his lie in high grass on the fifth hole (seemingly stamping down the grass), moved DeChambeau from 7-under par, one shot out of the lead and in the final pairing for Saturday’s third round, to 5-under par and in a tie for fifth.

DeChambeau had taken a bogey 5 on the fifth hole, and after the ruling, it became a triple-bogey 7. 

“Bryson has been penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing, so intended backswing on the 5th hole when he was playing his second shot,’’ Grant Moir, the R&A executive director of governance, said. “Ruling 1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke, and this includes the area of the player’s intended swing. 

“So, an improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke. I’ll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.

“The area of intended swing includes the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, the downswing or the complaining of the swing for the intended stroke, and importantly, what the prohibited action here is that the player mustn’t move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object. 

“A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance, if in some situations that improves the condition affecting the stroke, but when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.’’

The scene that played out after DeChambeau’s round was complete was positively bizarre. 

After he entered the scoring trailer following his round, it was there where he was informed of the infraction. He was then driven out, in a cart with Moir, to the scene on No. 5 to seemingly reenact what he said he or did not do. 

And he got into a lengthy animated argument with the rules officials as he tried to make his case. DeChambeau was waving his arms wildly, shaking his head and in absolute disagreement with what he was being told.

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At one point, the TV cameras filming the scene appeared to show DeChambeau saying to the rules officials, “I’m not going to play tomorrow.’’

He was driven back to the scoring trailer and was in there for some 30 minutes before emerging, blowing off reporters as he walked past them, offering only a sarcastic, “You guys having a good night?’’

When he was asked, on the move, if he was going to play tomorrow, DeChambeau mumbled that he was going to hit some balls, and he stormed out the practice range despite the fact that darkness was falling as 10 p.m. approached.

It’s been a hell of a week for DeChambeau, who entered the Open having missed the cut in the first three majors this year.

He was torched on TV by Nick Faldo before the tournament for having no clue about strategy on links golf courses. 

Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee, a frequent critic of DeChambeau, piled on with criticism that he was more interested in his YouTube brand than chasing down the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in major championships.

But, for the second consecutive day, DeChambeau played brilliantly on Friday, showing plenty of strategic brilliance en route to what he thought was a 66 to get to what he thought was 7-under par.

Still, at 5-under par after the penalty, DeChambeau is squarely in contention entering the weekend.

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