Golfer receives two-stroke penalty at Open after rules dispute

Bryson DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty during the second round after a rules official determined he had improved the line of his swing by standing on long grass behind his ball on the fifth hole. The penalty dropped him out of second place. He argued the decision on site and later returned to the location with the head of governance and a senior referee to review the incident.

escalates at scoring area After the on-course review, officials maintained the penalty. The chief executive joined the discussion at the scoring area. During that exchange, DeChambeau said he would phone the U.S. president if the matter was not resolved in his favor.

No call is known to have occurred. DeChambeau skipped standard media obligations after the round. Officials have not issued a statement addressing the reference to the president.

developments DeChambeau finished tied for 14th.

After Saturday’s round he went directly to the chief executive’s office to request his second-round scorecard, but the request was declined. He remained in the country to compete in a separate event later in the week. His representatives have not responded to requests for comment.