DeChambeau penalized two shots at the Open at Royal Birkdale
ESPN • 2 min read • Latest: Jul 17, 2026, 8:53 PM
Last updated Jul 17, 2026
Bryson DeChambeau's chances of securing the Open title diminished after receiving a two-shot penalty at Royal Birkdale. After carding a four-under 66 in round two, he was assessed a penalty for inadvertently improving his lie by trampling long grass near his ball. This decision followed discussions with rules officials and has pushed DeChambeau back to five under par, placing him three shots behind leader Lucas Herbert. Further developments are anticipated.
- •DeChambeau shot a four-under 66 in the second round.
- •He was penalized for inadvertently improving his lie.
- •The penalty pushed him to five under par.
- •He trails Lucas Herbert by three shots for the lead.
- 10:26 PMESPN — 2-shot penalty stalls DeChambeau's Day 2 surge
- 10:06 PMThe Guardian Sport — DeChambeau’s participation in the Open in doubt after two-stroke penalty
- 10:04 PMYahoo Sports — DeChambeau gets 2-shot penalty in dramatic late-night British Open ruling
- 9:00 PMBBC Sport — DeChambeau hit with shock two-stroke penalty at The Open
- 8:53 PMBBC Sport — DeChambeau receives two-shot penalty in dramatic Open scenes
"American punished for improving line of his swing Sanction moved DeChambeau out of second place Bryson DeChambeau’s ongoing participation in the Open Championship is in doubt after extraordinary scenes at the conclusion of the 32-year-old’s second round at Royal Birkdale. DeChambeau was handed a two-stroke penalty for improving the line of his swing in thick rough, with the scenario prompting a furious response from the American. The sanction shifted DeChambeau out of second place and an initial position of one stroke behind the leader Lucas Herbert. After 10pm and in darkness on the Birkdale range, DeChambeau was still pounding drives while asking waiting media if they cared for any of his snacks. He had already asked what the media thought of his swing. In 153 previous stagings, the Open had witnessed nothing akin to this. Life around DeChambeau is rarely dull. Continue reading...
"In a dramatic late-evening development after a 4-under 66, DeChambeau was taken back out to the fifth hole for a rules review. DeChambeau was seen in a lengthy, heated exchange with rules officials — at one point, he waved his arms and pointed in clear frustration — before being driven back to the scoring tent, where he was followed by officials including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. The verdict then came in: DeChambeau was deemed to have inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing by tamping down a section of grass behind the ball that might have affected his backswing on the shot.
"Bryson DeChambeau has been hit with a costly two-stroke penalty following his second round at The Open Championship for illegally improving his lie on the fifth hole. Following a lengthy review with officials at Royal Birkdale, the American saw his score revised to a triple-bogey seven, dropping him to five under par and a tie for fifth place after a 68.
Sources
External links- ESPNJul 17, 2026, 10:26 PM2-shot penalty stalls DeChambeau's Day 2 surge
The R&A assessed Bryson DeChambeau a two-stroke penalty following his second round in the 164th Open Championship for allegedly improving his lie in the tall grass before his second shot on the fifth hole.
- The Guardian SportJul 17, 2026, 10:06 PMDeChambeau’s participation in the Open in doubt after two-stroke penalty
American punished for improving line of his swing Sanction moved DeChambeau out of second place Bryson DeChambeau’s ongoing participation in the Open Championship is in doubt after extraordinary scenes at the conclusion of the 32-year-old’s second round at Royal Birkdale. DeChambeau was handed a two-stroke penalty for improving the line of his swing in thick rough, with the scenario prompting a furious response from the American. The sanction shifted DeChambeau out of second place and an initial position of one stroke behind the leader Lucas Herbert. After 10pm and in darkness on the Birkdale range, DeChambeau was still pounding drives while asking waiting media if they cared for any of his snacks. He had already asked what the media thought of his swing. In 153 previous stagings, the Open had witnessed nothing akin to this. Life around DeChambeau is rarely dull. Continue reading...
- Yahoo SportsJul 17, 2026, 10:04 PMDeChambeau gets 2-shot penalty in dramatic late-night British Open ruling
In a dramatic late-evening development after a 4-under 66, DeChambeau was taken back out to the fifth hole for a rules review. DeChambeau was seen in a lengthy, heated exchange with rules officials — at one point, he waved his arms and pointed in clear frustration — before being driven back to the scoring tent, where he was followed by officials including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. The verdict then came in: DeChambeau was deemed to have inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing by tamping down a section of grass behind the ball that might have affected his backswing on the shot.
- BBC SportJul 17, 2026, 9:00 PMDeChambeau hit with shock two-stroke penalty at The Open
Bryson DeChambeau has been hit with a costly two-stroke penalty following his second round at The Open Championship for illegally improving his lie on the fifth hole. Following a lengthy review with officials at Royal Birkdale, the American saw his score revised to a triple-bogey seven, dropping him to five under par and a tie for fifth place after a 68.
- BBC SportJul 17, 2026, 8:53 PMDeChambeau receives two-shot penalty in dramatic Open scenes
Bryson DeChambeau's bid to win the Open takes a hit after he was given a two-shot penalty on a dramatic evening at Royal Birkdale.
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