World No 1 Scottie Scheffler has come to the defense of Bryson DeChambeau, stating that he is 'not a cheater' following the rules controversy at The Open. DeChambeau was at the center of attention at Royal Birkdale after being handed a two-shot penalty for allegedly improving his line of play, turning a bogey into a triple-bogey. Despite heated discussions with rules officials, DeChambeau chose to continue playing, saying the decision 'fired him up'.
Scheffler, who has known DeChambeau for a long time, insisted that he has never seen him cheat and believes that the American was perhaps 'a touch careless' around his ball but did not intentionally break any rules. Scheffler also suggested that the game needs to strike a balance in enforcing rules, considering the impact of TV coverage and camera angles on the perception of players' actions. The world No 1 reflected on his own performance at The Open, where he finished tied for fourth place, and looked forward to the upcoming PGA Tour events.