Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, has defended fellow American Bryson DeChambeau, stating he is “definitely not a cheater” following a rules incident at The Open. The controversy stemmed from a two-shot penalty issued to DeChambeau after the second round on Friday, when officials determined he had inadvertently improved his swing path on the fifth hole.
The R&A, organisers of The Open, explained that DeChambeau had infringed rules by trampling down knee-high rough behind his ball. While the R&A clarified that DeChambeau’s actions were accidental, they maintained that the rule still applied. This penalty significantly impacted DeChambeau’s position, as a round of 66 would have placed him one shot off the lead at the halfway stage. Instead, he finished six shots behind eventual champion Ryan Fox after subsequent rounds of 69 and 72.
Reactions to the penalty
Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A, described the two-shot penalty as a “clear-cut decision from a rules perspective.” However, DeChambeau expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, and there was initial uncertainty about whether he would continue in the tournament. He later stated on Friday that the decision would “fire” him up for the weekend’s play.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who admitted he is “not fond of” DeChambeau, commented that there was “no doubt” DeChambeau had improved his backswing line. McIlroy further accused his rival of holding The Open “hostage” due to the situation. Despite the controversy, DeChambeau received a warm reception from the crowd at Birkdale during the third round on Saturday, though some isolated shouts of “cheat” were heard.
Scheffler, who was playing with DeChambeau when the incident occurred, dismissed the notion of cheating. He stated, “I’ve never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf, I never saw anything suspicious.” Scheffler added that from the camera angle, DeChambeau might have been “a touch careless around his ball,” but he did not believe the actions were intentional.
The 2025 Open champion, Scheffler, reiterated his defence after his final round on Sunday, saying, “All I’ll say is I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s a lot of things, but he’s definitely not a cheater.” Scheffler also suggested that video replay angles could make reviews inconclusive, advocating for a stricter adherence to the game’s traditions.
Impact on players and tournament
McIlroy’s strong sentiments were expressed on Saturday, where he openly stated, “I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him.” He watched the incident unfold live in the players’ lounge, noting that other players also felt something “didn’t seem right” when DeChambeau stepped into the ball. McIlroy believed the two-shot penalty was justified, regardless of whether the action was careless or intentional.
The dispute also caused delays in announcing tee times for the third round, which did not appear until around 11pm. This situation drew criticism from other competitors, including Marco Penge and Justin Thomas, who openly expressed their frustration. McIlroy also considered the delay unacceptable, suggesting DeChambeau’s actions were “performative” and for “attention.”
DeChambeau continued to practice on the Royal Birkdale driving range until after dark, while declining to engage with waiting media members for a third consecutive day. Following his third round, DeChambeau went directly to the R&A tournament offices to speak with Darbon, reportedly requesting his physical scorecard from day two, which was declined. Despite the controversy, DeChambeau largely received support from the galleries during his third round of 69, though a loud cry of “Bryson ya cheat” was heard on the final green.
Max Homa, another compatriot, offered support for DeChambeau, stating he did not agree with the ruling based on the single angle he saw. Homa added, “I’ve known Bryson for a very long time and he’s an interesting human at times, but I know he would never cheat the game of golf.” Penge, who was staying an hour away, expressed his frustration about the late tee time announcement, calling it “a bit of a joke, really.”
DeChambeau refused to speak to the media all week, including after Sunday’s final round.
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Source: bbc.com
