Bryson DeChambeau is expressing a more measured perspective on the two-stroke penalty he received at the recent British Open, indicating he is moving past the controversy. The American golfer was assessed the penalty on the fifth hole at Royal Liverpool for allegedly improving his lie by stomping down grass.
At the time of the penalty, DeChambeau was one stroke behind leader Lucas Herbert. He was visibly upset and argued with officials about the ruling. Following the incident, DeChambeau stated on social media that he was "obviously disappointed" with the ruling and did not agree with it, but added, "This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let's get it."
Despite his strong start, DeChambeau finished tied for 14th after a two-over par finish on Sunday. He noted that the penalty, along with a difficult 11th hole, resulted in a six-shot swing, which he believes would have placed him tied for the lead.
DeChambeau spoke about the "adversity" of the British Open penalty after the first round of LIV Golf's UK event at JCB Country Club on Thursday. He remarked with a smile, "Yeah, I made the cut." He added, "No, it was a good fight. I wish I would have given it more on Saturday and Sunday. Felt like I could have. Besides the fifth hole and being three-over on that hole and then the 11th hole, that’s six shots. That’s tied for the lead right there. That’s two holes and I’m right there with the Claret Jug."
His performance at the LIV Golf event showed a bounce-back, as he shot an eight-under par on the opening day. This marked his first made cut of the year in a major tournament.
The golfer had previously threatened to involve President Donald Trump in the situation following the controversial decision, as first reported by Geoff Shackelford. Fellow golfer Rory McIlroy also made comments regarding DeChambeau's handling of the incident.