El Open Championship finished on Sunday at Royal Birkdale, but the controversial episode involving Bryson DeChambeau after the second round continues to produce surprising developments. The latest, possibly the most unusual of all, involves Donald Trump.
According to journalist Geoff Shackelford en The Quadrilateral, DeChambeau asked the rules officials of the Royal & Ancient to have the President of the United States take part in the discussion about the two-stroke penalty he was about to receive for breaching Rule 8.1. The American wanted Trump to intervene on his behalf in an attempt to avoid the sanction.
It all began at the 5th hole of the second round. DeChambeau hit his tee shot into the tall rough and, while preparing his second shot, stepped on some of the fescue behind the ball. The R&A considered that he had inadvertently improved the area intended for the backswing. Lack of intent did not avoid the penalty: Rule 8.1 also applies when the improvement of the conditions affecting the stroke is accidental.
DeChambeau had initially finished with a round of 66 strokes, four under par, which left him seven under overall and one shot off the lead. The penalty turned the bogey at the 5th into a triple bogey, raised his score for the day to 68 and moved him from solo second to a share of fifth, three shots off the lead.
An unusual concession from The R&A
The American did not accept the decision easily. Before confirming the penalty, The R&A allowed him to return to the scene together with Grant Moir, head of governance and chief referee of the championship, and Mark Litton, a referee from the DP World Tour.
It was a rare concession. The official competition conditions state that the scorecard is considered returned when the player physically leaves the scoring area. DeChambeau was still there and had not signed his card, so he was able to return to the 5th hole to review on the ground the position of the ball and the swing area.
After that inspection, the player and the officials returned to the scoring office. There Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, and Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, the organisation’s head of championships, joined the conversation.
It was during that meeting, which lasted about thirty minutes, that DeChambeau asked for Trump to intervene in the debate, according to sources consulted by Shackelford. The player was still trying to convince the officials to withdraw the penalty and wanted the President of the United States to back his position.
The request was refused. His arguments against the sanction were also rejected.
The delay affected the final groups
The discussion had consequences for the running of the championship. While DeChambeau defended his case, the final players finishing at the 18th could not complete the process of returning their scorecards. The situation delayed the preparation and publication of Saturday’s tee times until almost midnight.
Rory McIlroy was particularly critical of the time given to the American to appeal the decision. The Northern Irishman said it did not present a good image to have players, volunteers and staff waiting while DeChambeau prolonged the discussion.
The R&A has declined to comment on the content of those conversations. However, during an interview given on Saturday to BBC Radio 5, Darbon was directly asked about a possible presidential intervention. The Chief Executive said he had not received any call from Trump. There is no record that such communication took place.
The close relationship between DeChambeau and Trump
The request is understood within the well-known closeness between DeChambeau and the US President. The golfer has taken part in various activities linked to Trump Golf, celebrated his US Open 2024 victory alongside members of the Trump family and currently chairs the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition
DeChambeau avoided speaking to the media after his final three rounds at Royal Birkdale. On Sunday he carded a 72 to close the championship on 276 strokes, four under par, and finish tied for 14th
What began as a rules decision in the middle of the rough at Royal Birkdale ended up, according to information revealed by Geoff Shackelford y The Quadrilateral, as an attempt to involve the President of the United States in an internal discussion of the Open Championship.
