Bryson DeChambeau closed out his second round at Royal Birkdale, just one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert. He had carded a four-under 66 and looked like the biggest shot on the leaderboard. That position, however, did not last long once officials called him back onto the course.

Grant Moir, the R&A’s executive director of governance, addressed the situation directly in a mixed zone statement. He confirmed DeChambeau lost two strokes for infringement on the fifth hole during his second shot.

“Bryson has been penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing, so the intended backswing on the 5th hole when he was playing his second shot.”

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

How Many Players Are Within Five Strokes of the Lead After R1?

59394015

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

“Basically, I’m going to explain the technicalities of the rule here for you. Ruling 1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke, and this includes the area of the player’s intended swing. So an improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke. Now, I’ll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”

Moir further explained that the rules protect the entire swing area, covering the backswing, downswing, and following through. He explained players cannot move, bend or break growing objects within that zone while getting to their ball. He stressed that the restriction applies even when a player has no intention of gaining an edge, which he said was exactly the case with Bryson DeChambeau.

As previously reported, DeChambeau’s tee shot on the par-4 fifth drifted into thick grass near the tree line. He stepped through that grass to reach his ball, and while he was eyeing the movement and deciding how to take the shot, he stepped twice around the long grass. And that movement was suspected to alter the ground enough to count as an improvement under the rule.

Officials did not flag it during the play, but the investigation started after a spectator sent a recorded video out of their telecast. That forced officials to bring DeChambeau back to the hole, and the two parties had a heated discussion around the situation.

The decision turned his bogey on the par-4 fifth into a triple bogey, with a two-stroke penalty slapped. His round also moved from 66 to 68, and his total dipped from 7 under to 5 under, three shots off the pace.

What’s next for Bryson DeChambeau

As expected, the situation has left the two-time U.S. Open champion unrestful and frustrated. During the banter, a video captured him saying to the officials that he won’t be playing in the tournament tomorrow. That said, there is no official statement by DeChambeau confirming or denying rumors of withdrawal. Additionally, he has also not confirmed his name in the final list set to tee up for the weekend.

The moment is crucial for the LIV star, as it’s the first cut he has made the entire year in the majors. Losing an opportunity could mean a direct impact on what the year could have looked like for him.

He missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open. Three straight disappointments for a two-time major winner. His only wins this year came at LIV Golf. Critics, including Sir Nick Faldo and Branden Chamblee, pointed to his growing focus on YouTube as part of the problem. However, DeChambeau has pushed back on that theory. He has been open about searching for answers. In a YouTube video where he addressed his missed cuts, he admitted his slump came down to a mix of factors rather than a clear cause.

Whether he competes for his first major win since his 2024 U.S. Open at the majors remains to be seen.