While Scottie Scheffler did not reveal a great deal about what he thought of the penalty Bryson DeChambeau received when asked about the situation on Saturday at The Open Championship, his comments still told a story.
Scheffler was among the players asked about the incident involving DeChambeau during the second round. The two-time US Open champion received a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving his lie on the fifth hole on Friday.
Scheffler was playing in the same group as DeChambeau over the first two days at Royal Birkdale.
Nevertheless, the world number one refrained from going into detail with his thoughts on the penalty. He did, however, hint that he was far from happy with what happened.
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Sam Burns holds a two-shot lead heading into the final round…
“I was out practising. I was playing with him yesterday. I don’t really have a ton to say on it. Actually, I do have a ton to say. I haven’t decided exactly what I want to say publicly yet,” he said.
“I do have some thoughts. I don’t really feel like now is the time or place for me to comment. We’re in the middle of a tournament, and I’m focused on what I need to do. I need to go out tomorrow and shoot a low round. I’m not really going to expand on it too much.”
The question now is whether Scheffler is unhappy with DeChambeau’s antics – Rory McIlroy did not hold back in criticising DeChambeau – or feels that the penalty itself is unfair.
Scottie Scheffler hints at his frustration over the penalty Bryson DeChambeau received
It would be a real surprise if Scheffler was going to head down the same route as McIlroy. The 30-year-old has rarely publicly inserted himself into the more controversial issues in the game. So if he was upset with DeChambeau, it would be no surprise to see him completely shut down the question.
There is another reason why Scheffler may not be pleased with how the situation has been handled – and that concerns his friendship with Sam Burns.
Scheffler and Burns are incredibly close. So if he is not able to win the final major of the year, he would surely want the 29-year-old to be the one lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday.
Burns has come close on a number of occasions over the last couple of years, including at last month’s US Open.
He now has a two-shot lead heading into the final round.
Unfortunately for Burns, if he does win, there will inevitably be talk about what DeChambeau could have done without a two-shot penalty.
Currently, he is four shots adrift of Burns. And his supporters may argue that the gap would have been even smaller had he been able to concentrate on his game.
Some will inevitably think the penalty has cost Bryson DeChambeau The Open Championship
It would be a huge shame for Burns if some felt that there was any sort of asterisk against his victory, if he does manage to get across the line in Southport.
Scheffler will want all of the attention to be on Burns’ superb play in the majors. And yet, DeChambeau has been the centre of attention on all three days.
Perhaps DeChambeau would lead the tournament after Saturday without the drama on Friday evening. However, there is also a strong case to be made that the sense of injustice lit a fire in DeChambeau.
We will never know what DeChambeau would have shot without the penalty. That is a problem for the eventual winner, with Burns the clear favourite right now.
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