Bryson DeChambeau may be absent from the 2026 Presidents Cup, but his name has still found its way into the spotlight at Medinah Country Club. A spectator’s unexpected wordplay caught attention during the tournament, with Sam Burns seemingly struggling to hold back his laughter.
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A fan, Dale Balsitis, uploaded an Instagram post. The post features a video in which he said, “The grass was standing up, but I DeChambeaud it for you.”
According to the caption, the incident occurred during the practice round. The fan defined the verb “DeChambeaued” as a kind act of assisting one’s next shot in the game of golf. He even tagged Sam Burns, Bryson DeChambeau, and the Presidents Cup in the post.
The video post also features a text overlay that reads, “Couldn’t resist saying this to Sam Burns when the ball was hit by us 😂”
Upon hearing the joke, Sam Burns cracked up. Although his face wasn’t clearly visible, his shoulder moved up as he tried to hold back his laughter, and the fan followed suit and laughed along.
While not confirmed, the joke was likely referring to Bryson DeChambeau’s two-stroke penalty at The Open 2026. At Royal Birkdale, he was penalized two strokes after officials concluded that he had improved the area of his intended backswing by moving through and pressing down long fescue.
The incident occurred during DeChambeau’s second round at the par-four fifth hole. His tee shot finished in thick, tall fescue. Before playing his second shot, he moved around the ball and took practice swings. Replays showed him stepping through or pressing down the grass near the ball. Officials later determined that this altered the area through which his club could travel during the backswing.
The ruling was made after his round had finished. DeChambeau initially appeared to have shot a four-under 66 and moved into serious contention, but the penalty changed his total to 68. He dropped from solo second to a tie for fifth at five under. DeChambeau and R&A officials later returned to the fifth hole in a golf cart to examine the area and discuss what had happened. The review reportedly lasted more than an hour after he completed his round.
Bryson DeChambeau was visibly unhappy about the decision.
“Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it,” he shared on social media.
According to the American professional, it was accidental, and he never intended to improve the lie. R&A executive director of governance Grant Moir explicitly said the breach applied even though there was no intention.
The joke appeared to have hit the mark, as the video post received over 1.1 million views within hours.
Sam Burns was practicing like every other player in the Presidents Cup 2026. After his selection, he has revealed how important it is for him to score for the team and win.
“All of us guys that are on this squad, there’s nothing more we want to do than to go out and win and represent our country well,” he said.
But there was a little comfort because Sam Burns was paired with Scottie Scheffler for Thursday four-balls.
Sam Burns on partnering with Scottie Scheffler for the first four-balls match
Sam Burns all but revealed his Thursday partner during a press conference. When a media professional asked whether he already knew who he would play with, he replied, “His name starts with an S.”
He later confirmed that he was looking forward to joining forces with world No. 1. According to Burns, the pairing was comfortable because the two men spend a lot of time together and regularly play with each other. The two have known each other since junior golf. Their friendly relationship developed through junior competitions and has continued to the professional circuit.
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns are facing Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im in the first match of the biennial event. The pair took an early lead on the par-four first hole. Scheffler made a birdie to win the hole for his team. The American duo carried on this lead till the par-four fifth. On the fifth hole, Sungjae Im covered up the lead with a birdie. Since then, they have gone neck and neck through the 10th hole.
Sam Burns’ focus quickly shifted from sharing a laugh with a spectator to the serious task of teaming up with Scottie Scheffler for the United States. While the Bryson DeChambeau joke offered a light moment during practice, Burns and Scheffler were soon back to competing for every hole at Medinah.