Bryson DeChambeau's tumultuous encounter with The R&A has reached new heights, with allegations surfacing that he threatened to call in big guns – literally Donald Trump – after being handed a two-stroke penalty at Royal Birkdale on Friday. It was a move that sparked fury from the American golfer and left fans stunned as the dust settled on a drama-filled second round.
The controversy began on the fifth hole, where DeChambeau's line of swing was deemed to have been altered, resulting in a two-stroke penalty that sent shockwaves through the tournament. The 32-year-old golfer reportedly stood his ground with R&A officials, including head of governance and senior referee, refusing to back down even when asked to return to the scene of the alleged infringement to present his case.
The heated discussion eventually drew in R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, with DeChambeau allegedly threatening to take matters into his own hands by calling Trump if the penalty wasn't overturned. While there's no evidence to suggest a call was actually made, it's clear that DeChambeau is not one to back down from a fight.
The two-stroke penalty saw DeChambeau plummet out of second place, and despite Rory McIlroy publicly backing the R&A's decision, DeChambeau refused to go quietly into the night. Instead, he made an unusual request for his round two scorecard, only to be politely declined by Darbon.
DeChambeau's ties to Trump are well-documented, including a warm exchange at last year's Ryder Cup, where DeChambeau claimed the former US President would 'inspire' the US team. Now, it seems DeChambeau is counting on those connections to get him out of hot water – but will they be enough to salvage his Open campaign?
DeChambeau's tied 14th finish marked a significant improvement from last year's major outings, and he'll no doubt be hoping to build on that momentum when he takes part in this week's LIV Golf event at the JCB Golf and Country Club.