During Rory McIlroy’s Saturday press conference following his third round at The Open Championship, McIlroy was asked about Bryson DeChambeau’s two-shot penalty assessed after Friday’s round. “Yeah, look, I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson,”, said McIlroy. “I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention.
“To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.”
McIlroy’s comments came after DeChambeau was assessed a two-shot penalty following Friday’s round. After his tee shot sailed right on the fifth hole on Friday, DeChambeau found himself in a penalty area in waist-high fescue grass. Instead of taking a drop, he elected to play his ball as it lay. However, as DeChambeau was lining up his shot, he stepped on and around the grass behind his ball. He struck the shot, ending up behind the green and eventually making a bogey on the hole.
DeChambeau would eventually finish his round with a 66 at 7 under par for the tournament, one behind the clubhouse leader Lucas Herbert. However, R&A officials met with DeChambeau following the round and before signing his scorecard. What followed was an animated DeChambeau arguing his case against a potential penalty, including reenacting his swing in the penalty area on the fifth hole from where he played.
However, it was all for naught, as DeChambeau was eventually assessed the two-shot penalty for violating the Rule 8.1. That rule restricts what players are able to do around conditions affecting that player’s stroke. While removal of loose impediments or movable obstructions are allowed. players may not move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object. DeChambeau appeared to violate that rule by stepping on the growing grass directly located in his backswing, which improved his conditions affecting his stroke.
DeChambeau was visibly frustrated and upset, even appearing to state that he would not play the Saturday round if assessed the penalty. Following his penalty, DeChambeau took to the range, hitting balls late into the night.
On the penalty, McIlroy stated, “Yeah, I think there’s no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, it’s like, whether it was careless or whether it was intentional, I don’t think it matters. Hopefully it was careless, but I think the two-shot penalty was justified, for sure.”