Scottie Scheffler defends Bryson DeChambeau amid penalty discussion at The Open
World number one Scottie Scheffler has stated that Bryson DeChambeau is “definitely not a cheater” following a two-shot penalty issued to DeChambeau during The Open. The penalty, which occurred after Friday’s second round, was for inadvertently improving his swing path on the fifth hole. Officials from the R&A, the organisers of The Open, determined that DeChambeau had broken rules by trampling down knee-high rough behind his ball. The R&A clarified that DeChambeau’s actions were accidental, but the rule still applied.
DeChambeau, who is 32 years old, initially believed his round of 66 had placed him one shot off the lead at the halfway point. However, the penalty impacted his standing. He expressed feeling unfairly treated. Following subsequent rounds of 69 and 72 over the weekend, DeChambeau finished six shots behind the eventual champion, Ryan Fox. DeChambeau did not speak to the media throughout the week, including after the final round on Sunday.
Reactions to the Penalty
Scheffler, who was playing with DeChambeau when the incident occurred, defended his fellow American. Scheffler remarked, “I’ve never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf, I never saw anything suspicious.” He added that from the camera angle, DeChambeau might have been “a touch careless around his ball,” but Scheffler did not believe he acted intentionally. Scheffler also suggested that video replay angles might not be conclusive and that there might be a need to return to the game’s traditions and stricter policing of rules.
The penalty decision was described as a “clear-cut decision from a rules perspective” by R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. Despite this, DeChambeau voiced complaints. There was some uncertainty about whether he would continue in the tournament due to the decision, though he later indicated on Friday that it would “fire” him up for the weekend.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who admitted he is “not fond of” DeChambeau, commented that there was “no doubt” DeChambeau had improved the line of his backswing. McIlroy further accused his rival of “holding the Open hostage” over the situation. McIlroy watched the incident live and noted that other players also felt DeChambeau’s action “didn’t seem right.” He believed the two-shot penalty was justified, regardless of whether the action was careless or intentional.
McIlroy also criticised DeChambeau’s actions as “performative” and for “attention,” particularly regarding the delay in announcing third-round tee times, which did not appear until around 11pm. This delay affected other competitors, including Marco Penge and Justin Thomas, who openly expressed frustration. McIlroy found the situation unacceptable, highlighting that players, volunteers, and others were left waiting for DeChambeau to depart. DeChambeau was seen hitting balls on the Royal Birkdale driving range until after dark, while declining to engage with waiting media.
Public Reception and Continued Silence
During his third round on Saturday, DeChambeau received a generally warm reception from the Birkdale crowd. However, there were isolated shouts inferring he was a “cheat,” including a loud cry of “Bryson ya cheat” on the final green while his playing partner, Sam Burns, was lining up a putt. Scheffler rejected the notion of DeChambeau being a cheat when he spoke about the incident after his final round on Sunday.
After completing his third round, DeChambeau went directly to the R&A tournament offices to speak with chief executive Mark Darbon. It is understood that DeChambeau requested his physical scorecard from the second day, but Darbon politely declined the request. DeChambeau continued to bypass waiting media members for the third consecutive day. Justin Thomas also declined media requests after his third round. Marco Penge, however, elaborated on his frustrations, describing the situation as “a bit of a joke” due to the late tee time announcement.
DeChambeau did receive support from his compatriot Max Homa, who stated, “I’ve known Bryson for a very long time and he’s an interesting human at times, but I know he would never cheat the game of golf.”
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Source: bbc.com
