Bryson DeChambeau has broken his silence on the contentious two-shot penalty that he believes robbed him of a chance to win The Open. The penalty was imposed after officials reviewed footage and determined that DeChambeau had improved his backswing area by flattening long grass on the fifth hole at Royal Birkdale, turning his bogey into a triple-bogey. This setback dropped him from second to fifth in the standings.
Although DeChambeau considered withdrawing in protest, he chose to continue, ultimately making the cut and avoiding a streak of missed cuts in majors. Despite recovering with rounds of 69 and 72, he was left to ponder what could have been, finishing six shots behind the winner, Ryan Fox. DeChambeau reflected on his performance, stating, 'I made the cut, it was a good fight.' World No 1 Scheffler defended DeChambeau, asserting that he is not a cheater, while Rory McIlroy described the incident as attention-seeking.