Bryson DeChambeau of the United States, who was penalized at The Open, the season's final major championship, reportedly threatened to call U.S. President Donald Trump.
DeChambeau stepped on the long grass behind his ball with his foot before playing his second shot from the rough on the fifth hole during the second round of The Open, held last week at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. During the process of submitting DeChambeau's scorecard, the rules committee ruled that this action constituted an intentional improvement of the area of intended swing and imposed a two-stroke penalty on him.
Foreign media including AFP reported on the 20th that "DeChambeau strongly protested this ruling to the rules officials, and during this process, he reportedly hinted that he would call President Trump."
DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open in 2020 and 2024, is known to often play golf with President Trump. He also serves as a member of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, an agency under the direct authority of the president. Whether DeChambeau actually called President Trump has not been confirmed.
Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A, which organizes The Open, told BBC Sport, "I have not received a call from President Trump, and the decision would be the same regardless of which player it affects."
President Trump stirred controversy when he requested that FIFA (the International Football Federation) review the ruling after U.S. national team striker Folarin Balogun received a suspension penalty at the North and Central America World Cup.
DeChambeau finished The Open in a tie for 14th place and left the venue while declining interviews with reporters.
DeChambeau left a message on Instagram: "This week had a lot of ups and downs. I'm proud of myself for getting through it." He added, "Thank you to everyone who cheered me on. I will improve even more going forward. I want to congratulate Ryan Fox on his incredible victory."
