Round three of The Open Championship is now well underway, but the debate around Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty remains.
DeChambeau was handed a two-shot penalty on the fifth hole of his second round, having been adjudged to have inadvertently improved the area of his intended backswing.
Footage shows the LIV Golf star trampling the rough grass around his ball, which officials deemed worthy of a two-shot deduction, thus dropping his score from seven-under to five-under.
The R&A, which organises The Open Championship, has now shed further light on the DeChambeau incident, including whether US President Donald Trump has gotten involved.
R&A confirm Donald Trump has not called them after Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty at The Open
Speaking to BBC 5 Live Sport at Royal Birkdale, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said: “It was an unfortunate set of circumstances at the end of a brilliant day’s golf.
“We were really pleased with the day. We had some discussions with Bryson at the back end of the day after the ruling.”
And sharing why the penalty was given after the round, he explained: “I don’t think it’s atypical to flag these infringements post-round.
“It was actually a clear cut decision from a rules perspective. Our team discuss it, the final decision sits with our chief referee.
“We have a responsibility to our Championship and the rest of the field, so irrespective of which player this affected, it’s the same decision. From a rules perspective it was clear cut.”
Darbon was then asked if he has received a call from Trump, or if he’s expecting one, and whether the President could reverse the decision.
He responded: “No, I have not received a call from President Trump. We will see what happens from here.”
Was Bryson DeChambeau's penalty unfair?
He was penalised two shots following an incident on the fifth hole…
Why Donald Trump has entered the Bryson DeChambeau debate at The Open
First and foremost, Trump has entered the debate around the LIV golfer because they share a close relationship.
But the issue of the possible penalty reversal is also directly linked to the football World Cup, which is currently reaching its latter stages in the United States.
Trump played a crucial role for his nation earlier in the tournament, when USA striker Folarin Balogun received a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
But the superstar’s one-match ban was suspended for a year by FIFA following a shock intervention from the President.
Trump confirmed that he asked FIFA to review the ban, and later thanked football’s world governing body for “reversing a great injustice” in a post on Truth Social.
His involvement led to widespread criticism from the likes of European football’s governing body Uefa and the Royal Belgian Football Association, among many others.
After that extraordinary decision, Balogun was able to start the round of 16 match against Belgium, which the USA lost 4-1.
While Trump clearly has the power to sway such major sporting decisions, it would be truly remarkable if he was able to impact DeChambeau’s current predicament at The Open.
However, the President is an avid golfer, while DeChambeau is a huge Trump fan, suggesting that nothing should be ruled out at this stage.
Read more: Bryson DeChambeau finally breaks silence after being given a two-shot penalty at The Open
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