As long as Bryson DeChambeau is teeing it up in professional golf, the American golfer makes sure all eyes are on him. During the ongoing U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, the defending champion is not having the kind of day he would have wished. Hitting only 57% of his fairways while losing 1.91 strokes putting and 1.4 strokes around the green, DeChambeau shot an opening-round 3-over-73. Not the best start for a defending champion, for sure. But this is not the reason why the 31-year-old is being called out at the Oakmont Country Club.

DeChambeau, the two-time U.S. Open winner, entered the tournament as one of the favorites on June 12. He still is. But because of a controversial decision at Oakmont, DeChambeau is being called out not only by commentators but also by fans. DeChambeau, knowingly or unknowingly, made a blunder early in the round on the par-5 fourth hole.

At the par-five fourth hole, DeChambeau’s shot ended up in the crosswalk used by spectators. DeChambeau’s caddie picked up the ball but did so without marking it. That meant DeChambeau had to take relief behind the walkway. The Two-time US Open Champion’s next move was, however, highly unusual. Instead of dropping the ball from knee height, the American golfer placed the ball on the ground. As soon as DeChambeau went to grab his club, an official stepped in and informed him that he had to drop the ball, not place it to be in play.

Well, the 31-year-old did correct his mistake, but it was too late to prevent him from a callout. Baffled by his bizarre action, Andrew Coltart, commentator at the U.S. Open, expressed surprise, stating, “I’m just astounded he placed it. It’s just not natural.” Even Nick Dougherty was amazed by the rookie mistake committed by the veteran on the course: “Whichever way you look at it, a fairly stupid mistake for a very intelligent man.”

There are a few rules that were clearly violated by Bryson DeChambeau during the situation that unfolded. While the caddie is allowed to pick up the ball, it is absolutely necessary that the original spot be marked. Rule 14.1 b states that, “If you lift your ball without marking its spot, mark its spot in a wrong way, or make a stroke with a ball-marker left in place, you get one penalty stroke.”   Similarly, there is a procedure for the way a ball is dropped onto the course as well. That is covered under Rule 14.3. “You must let go of your ball from a location at knee height”, the rule states.

While the second rule does not penalise the golfer in case there is a breach, it is still a rookie move to make such an error on the course. And it was not just the commentators who were stunned. Several fans were also in for a rude shock at seeing Bryson DeChambeau make an uncharacteristic mistake on the course. That was not something they had expected to see from the defending champion.

Fans call out Bryson DeChambeau for ignoring the rules

Several fans felt that the LIV Golfer was due for a punishment for his visible encroachment of the rules. The two-time Major winner is supposed to be on top of such procedures and should have executed the drop well instead of opting to place the ball as he did. The fan voiced his concerns on social media, stating, “I have so many questions about that entire video, and I think they all lead me to the conclusion he should be DQ’d immediately.” Another fan also had the same query. “This is an illegal drop, right? When he places it the first time before re picking it up?” The fan tweeted.

DeChambeau is one of the more popular entities in the world of golf. His YouTube channel boasts 2.05 M subscribers, which is more than the PGA Tour channel and the LIV Golf channel combined. His videos are a fun and less complicated way of seeing golf, which is why it is extremely popular. One fan was quick to bring that into the mix, implying that the lackadaisical approach employed by DeChambeau is a result of his gameplay style he incorporates for his channel. The fan posted, “YouTube golf vibes are coming through haha,” while another fan stated that he is used to doing such shortcuts for his video series, “So used to doing for his break 50 series.”

This, however, is not the first time that DeChambeau has had a run-in with the US Golf Association. At the 2018 Travelers Championship, DeChambeau was using a compass alongside his yardage book to accurately determine the pin positions. The USGA banned him and released the following statement, “At the request of the PGA Tour, the USGA and the R&A reviewed Bryson DeChambeau’s stated use of a drawing compass to assist him in determining ‘true’ hole locations, and jointly determined that his specific usage would be in breach of Rule 14-3, if used in a future round.

The question is whether his actions right now demand a warning similar to 2018, or something severe. The encroachment happened from the time his caddie picked up his ball, as the bagman failed to mark the location as he is supposed to do, prompting one fan to tweet, “Surely his caddy picking up his ball is a penalty?” If there are further actions that are needed, the organizers will need to execute them before the end of the day.

What do you think of Bryson DeChambeau’s controversial move at Oakmont? Do you think it warrants a penalty or an even stricter punishment?