DeChambeau asks Trump to intervene in Open penalty

Golfer Bryson DeChambeau reportedly requested that U.S. President Donald Trump intervene in a rules dispute during The Open Championship, a request that was denied by tournament officials. The incident occurred after DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty during the second round on Friday, July 17, 2026, at Royal Birkdale.

The penalty was for a breach of Rule 8.1, after officials determined DeChambeau had improved the area of his intended swing by flattening long grass in the rough on the fifth hole. The ruling changed his score for the round from a 4-under-par 66 to a 2-under-par 68, dropping him from second place and within two shots of the lead to three strokes back.

According to reports from veteran golf writer Geoff Shackelford, during lengthy post-round discussions that lasted over an hour, DeChambeau asked for President Trump to be brought into the deliberations as he argued against the penalty. The request was made during a meeting with officials including RA Chief Executive Mark Darbon and was refused. Darbon confirmed on Saturday, July 18, that he had not received any communication from the president regarding the matter.

The discussions were protracted and...