Bryson DeChambeau hoped Donald Trump could help remove the penalty at The Open following the World Cup controversy.
Bryson DeChambeau asked Donald Trump to step in and help remove a penalty he got at The Open, which caused quite a stir.
On Sunday, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox won the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, holding on to the famous Claret Jug. At 39 years old, he stayed strong against some of the top players, finishing with a score of 10-under-par.
Among the big names competing was America’s Bryson DeChambeau. After a tough run in majors this year, he finally made the cut in 2026. Starting the final round on Sunday at six-under-par, he was just four shots behind the leader, Sam Burns.
DeChambeau could have been even closer if he hadn’t received a two-shot penalty in a very controversial moment. During his second round on the fifth hole, he got penalized for “inadvertently improving his lie” in the rough. This upset the 32-year-old so much that he even thought about quitting before the weekend.
Before deciding, DeChambeau reportedly asked US President Trump to help get his penalty removed. Journalist and course designer Geoff Shackelford shared that DeChambeau reached out, hoping Trump would get involved, especially since the former president had recently stepped into other sports disputes.
For example, during the World Cup this summer, Trump helped get the red card of US player Folarin Balogun overturned by talking to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. But this time, Trump, a big golf fan, didn’t step in. The R&A chief, Mark Darbon, confirmed he hadn’t heard from Trump about the penalty.
“No. I have not received a call from President Trump, and we’ll see what happens from here,” Darbon said.
Despite his threats to quit, DeChambeau did play the third and fourth rounds at Royal Birkdale, finishing four-under-par and tied for 14th place.
In recent years, it’s been clear that Rory McIlroy and DeChambeau don’t get along. So, when asked about DeChambeau’s behavior after his penalty was confirmed, McIlroy was pretty clear about his feelings.
“I won’t pretend to defend Bryson,” McIlroy told reporters. “I’m not a big fan. I think a lot of it is for show and attention. Holding the tournament hostage like that, with all the players and volunteers waiting on him, wasn’t a good look.”
If DeChambeau had quit, the R&A would have had to change tee times and the schedule for the final rounds, causing problems for all the players. McIlroy thought the penalty was fair.
“As soon as he took the step into the ball, we all thought it didn’t seem right,” McIlroy said. “When the rules officials called him in, it was clear why. There’s no doubt he improved the line of his backswing. Whether it was accidental or not, the two-shot penalty was fair.”
McIlroy had a tough weekend, finishing tied for 40th with a final score of one-under-par.