American golfer Bryson DeChambeau was at the center of a controversy in the second round of The British Open on Friday. DeChambeau had a prolonged discussion with officials at the PGA Tour event about a two-stroke penalty at the 5th hole.
It concerned DeChambeau allegedly stepped on the grass surrounding his ball at the 5th hole to better his lie. The episode was caught on the broadcast, sparking a major row.
The row happened partly due to how animated Bryson DeChambeau looked at the at Royal Birkdale, in Southport, England, as he talked to officials. He pleaded his case for a long time, potentially risking another penalty.
The incident was all the more surprising as Bryson DeChambeau shot a 66 and then suddenly went up to the officials to plead a case about a potential penalty at the previous 5th hole.
PGA officials later confirmed the penalty giving a blow to the 32-year-old, as he sat solo 2nd on the leaderboard prior to the penalty.
{{/usCountry}}PGA officials later confirmed the penalty giving a blow to the 32-year-old, as he sat solo 2nd on the leaderboard prior to the penalty.
{{/usCountry}}The photos and videos of the incident were shared by Golf.com on X. Here's a video of a visibly animated DeChambeau arguing the officials.
Bryson DeChambeau's Next Round Appearance Under Question
As the clips from Bryson DeChambeau's interaction with the officials at the PGA Tour event surfaced on social media, one clip in particular raised questions about whether DeChambeau will complete The Open on Saturday again.
In the clip, DeChambeau purportedly said, "I'm just not going to play tomorrow." Ht.com could not independently confirm what the star golfer said. However, the video has now gone viral on social media. Here it is.
The Open Leaderboard: Where Does Bryson DeChambeau Stand After Round 2?
The American golfer sat second with a score of seven-under before the penalty. But with the confirmation of the two-stroke penalty , his score will fell to five under par, meaning he is now joint fifth on the leaderboard, after Round 2.
Lucas Herbert surged to the top of The Open Championship leaderboard after Round 2 with a brilliant 8-under-par round, finishing at -8 overall. The Australian holds a two-shot lead over a trio of Americans: Ryan Gerard, Jackson Suber, and Cameron Young—who are tied for second place at -6.
Bryson DeChambeau now moves from second to tie for fifth at -5 overall. He is still just three shots off the lead.