Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) CEO Mark Darbon has described the two-shot penalty assessed to golfer Bryson DeChambeau during the Open as a "clear-cut decision." DeChambeau was penalized for allegedly trampling on long grass near his ball on the fifth hole during Friday's play. The penalty dropped him from a position one shot off the lead to three shots behind overnight leader Lucas Herbert. Despite the setback, DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open champion, indicated that the penalty would motivate him for the remainder of the weekend.
Darbon acknowledged that there was "some emotion" surrounding the ruling and DeChambeau's reaction but stated that the R&A's focus remained on making a fair assessment. He confirmed that Donald Trump had not contacted the R&A regarding the incident. DeChambeau is scheduled to tee off at 3:30 PM BST on Saturday, continuing his pursuit of a major championship title.