Bryson DeChambeau forfeited close to $280,000 in prize money after receiving a two-shot penalty during the second round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The incident occurred after DeChambeau appeared to trample the grass behind his ball, leading officials to issue the penalty.
Despite protesting his innocence and demanding to be returned to the scene of the infraction, the 32-year-old American was penalized. He reportedly threatened to withdraw from the major tournament and even contact then-U.S. President Donald Trump, a close friend, to intervene. The penalty caused him to drop three shots behind the lead at the halfway mark, and he ultimately finished the tournament in a tie for 14th place, earning $234,325.
Had DeChambeau finished the tournament with two fewer strokes, he would have been in a four-way tie for sixth place, which would have yielded $514,212 in prize money. This financial impact comes as DeChambeau previously earned $37.2 million on the PGA Tour before joining LIV Golf on a reported $125 million deal.
Sources confirmed that DeChambeau had warned he might seek presidential intervention during the dispute. However, unlike a different controversy involving U.S. Men's National Team striker Folarin Balogun, the White House did not intervene, and the penalty stood.
Fellow golfers offered differing perspectives on the situation. While Scottie Scheffler defended DeChambeau, stating he was not a "cheat," Rory McIlroy was critical of his rival's actions. McIlroy, speaking on Saturday, described the incident as being "performative" and "for attention." He added that DeChambeau's actions held up the tournament, affecting players, volunteers, and others, which he felt was "not a great look."
