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Just play, we\u2019ll handle the rest<\/p>\nBryson DeChambeau is pure cinema. Wherever he goes, whatever he says, whether you like him or not, for better or worse, he makes people pay attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year, it\u2019s been\u00a0for worse at the majors. DeChambeau missed the cut in each of the three so far in 2026, but he rolled in a lengthy birdie on his final hole of the day and was primed to join the final group for Saturday at The Open Championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Almost two hours after he finished his round it was determined that DeChambeau had suffered a two-shot penalty on the fifth hole of the day and had dropped from 7 under, and in solo second, to 5 under and into a three-way tie for fifth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
DeChambeau spent a good chunk of the time after his round had concluded pleading his case with R&A rules officials as a viral video of his actions on No. 5 gave followers on social media and tournament organizers pause \u2013 had DeChambeau improved his lie?\u00a0<\/p>\n
DeChambeau hit his drive into the native area on the right-hand side of the short par 4 and then hit a provisional assuming the first was lost. His first tee ball was found but as DeChambeau was lining up his shot and assessing his situation, it appeared as if he may have trampled the long grass behind his ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was able to chop it out and two-putted for bogey \u2013 a fairly solid result on the scorecard considering where he was off the tee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the movement around and over his ball prompted the R&A to believe that he could have been in violation of a rule and improved his lie, even though it was unintentional.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
DeChambeau argued his story and was, per Golf Channel\u2019s Todd Lewis, attempting to tell the R&A that despite the fact that, yes, the grass had been pushed down, the direction of the grass had no impact on the direction of the shot he was hitting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grant Moir, the R&A executive director of governance, said DeChambeau had indeed been penalized two strokes for \u201cinadvertently improving the area of his intended swing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn \u2018improvement\u2019 means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke. Now, I’ll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case,\u201d Moir said. \u201cThe area of intended swing includes the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, the downswing or the complaining of the swing for the intended stroke\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI would reiterate this rule applies even when there’s no intention to improve the area, as was the case with Bryson.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just play, we\u2019ll handle the rest<\/p>\n
Genesis delivers five years of complimentary scheduled maintenance, whether at your doorstep or beside the fairway, so every drive remains effortless.<\/p>\n