Bryson DeChambeau will continue competing at The Open after receiving a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving his lie during the second round at Royal Birkdale.

Bryson DeChambeau will remain in the field for the remainder of The Open at Royal Birkdale despite receiving a two-stroke penalty following his second round. The 32-year-old American was sanctioned for inadvertently trampling down long grass behind his ball on the fifth hole, an action deemed to have improved the area of his intended swing. The ruling dropped DeChambeau from one stroke off the lead to three strokes behind leader Lucas Herbert.

The Ruling and Disagreement

The penalty was applied under Rule 8.1, which prohibits players from improving conditions affecting their stroke. Grant Moir, an executive director of the R&A, stated that while DeChambeau’s actions were not deliberate, the penalty was appropriate because the rule applies even when an improvement is accidental. DeChambeau, who initially finished his round with a 66, spent over 20 minutes in discussions with officials, including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, before the penalty was finalized.

DeChambeau’s Response

Following the decision, DeChambeau expressed his disagreement with the ruling but confirmed his intent to continue in the tournament. In a social media post, he wrote that he was disappointed but motivated for the weekend. After leaving the scoring area, he spent time practicing on the driving range, with his agent, Brett Falkoff, noting that the player would assess his status before the third round.