Bryson DeChambeau faced a two-stroke penalty at the 2026 British Open Championship, an incident that sparked considerable discussion and remains in the news, particularly due to reports linking it to President Donald Trump.
The golfer, who has a close friendship with Trump—highlighted by their time golfing together for the LIV Golf Stars YouTube channel—was caught stomping on grass near his ball during the second round. This action led to the penalty, a violation of the rules.
While this was happening, Rory McIlroy expressed frustration, suggesting that DeChambeau was effectively holding up the championship by refusing to sign his scorecard after round two.
According to golf writer Jeff Shackelford, DeChambeau was eager for Trump to intervene on his behalf regarding the penalty that raised his score from 66 to 68. Shackelford mentioned that this idea was discussed in a conversation lasting about 30 minutes. Notably, DeChambeau had received rare permission to return to the area after that incident.
Reportedly, Trump declined DeChambeau’s request for assistance, and there was no immediate response from the White House when contacted for comments.
It’s unclear what exactly DeChambeau expected from Trump, though one might speculate he was hoping for a favorable outcome similar to an incident involving the U.S. team during the FIFA World Cup. In that situation, Trump reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a personal friend, seeking to discuss a controversial red card issued to Team USA’s Folarin Balogun. Fortunately for Balogun, FIFA decided to rescind the card, allowing him to continue playing in the tournament.
Despite that, the outcome for Team USA didn’t turn out as they had hoped, as they eliminated Belgium 4-1 in the Round of 16.
DeChambeau concluded the tournament at Royal Birkdale with a tied score of 4 under, landing in 14th place. Meanwhile, Ryan Fox from New Zealand triumphed, clinching his first major victory after birdieing the final hole and finishing at 10 under, one stroke ahead of Cameron Young.
