The hosting of the 154th Open Championship has been somewhat spoilt by the second day controversy involving Bryson DeChambeau.
The American was slapped with a two-shot penalty after being deemed by R & A rules officials he had wrongly improved his lie in playing the fifth hole of the host Royal Birkdale course.
DeChambeau played a poor tee shot into deep rough in posting a bogey ‘5’ in a very respectable four-under 66 and what would have eventually been second place on seven-under.
Though the double US Open champion was confronted post his round by officials, claiming DeChambeau had improved the lie of his backswing prior to playing his second shot at the fifth hole.
What did I do wrong? As Bryson DeChambeau explains he did not breach the Rules of Golf. Image SKY
It led to The R&A and DeChambeau to return to the fifth hole to analyse the scene of the alleged infringement, and where DeChambeau was seen passionately stating his case for some 15 minutes but to no avail.
In a statement, R&A referee Grant Moir explained the decision to hand out the penalty, and believed to be a first occasion in some 30 years that such a penalty has been handed out to a golfer.
Moir said: “Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended backswing on the fifth hole when he was playing his second shot.
“I will explain the technicalities of the rule here for you. Ruling one 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. With stress, this applies even when the action was accidental 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 completion of the swing for the intended stroke.
“What the prohibited action here is that any player must not move bend or break any growing or attached or natural object.
“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 swing0.”
Moir added: “I would reiterate, this rule applies even when there is no intention, as was the case with Bryson.”
If there no intention why then was DeChambeau deemed to have breached the rules?
DeChambeau was rightfully most unhappy about the incident so much so there was strong suggestions the current World No. 37 was prepared to show his disgust and withdraw from the championship. If so, he has up to his third round tee-time of 3.30pm (UK time) to make such a decision.
Speaking via his manager Kevin Van Valkenburg, the champion LIV golfer said: “He’s a lot of things. He’s not a cheater.”
They added: “He’s a big boy. He’ll see how he feels, but he certainly feels he was unfairly penalised.”
If DeChambeau goes ahead with his threat to withdraw it changes the complexion of the championship as DeChambeau was set to play alongside the second round leader Aussie Lucas Herbert at eight-under in Saturday’s final third round pairing. Now he trails by three strokes, tied on six-under with intended partner Sam Burns.
