Bryson DeChambeau received a retroactive two-stroke penalty [1] during the second round [2] of The Open Championship on Friday.
The penalty impacts DeChambeau's standing in the tournament, erasing the advantage of a strong performance during his round at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England.
Officials assessed the penalty after determining that DeChambeau violated Rule 9.1b, which prohibits improving the line of play. The incident occurred on the fifth hole, where DeChambeau stepped on long grass to improve his lie [1, 3].
DeChambeau expressed frustration regarding the ruling. "I'm irate after being assessed a two‑stroke penalty for stomping the grass," he said [4].
Despite the setback, the golfer indicated that the controversy would serve as motivation for the remainder of the event. "It fires me up," he said [3].
The retroactive nature of the penalty means the strokes were added to his score after the round was completed. This type of ruling often creates tension between players and tournament officials, especially in major championships where every single stroke influences the final leaderboard.
“"I'm irate after being assessed a two‑stroke penalty for stomping the grass."”
A two-stroke penalty in a major championship can be the difference between a top-10 finish and falling out of contention. By citing Rule 9.1b, officials are reinforcing a strict adherence to the 'natural state' of the course, signaling that even marginal attempts to flatten grass will be penalized regardless of the player's overall performance in the round.
