Bryson DeChambeau receiving a two-stroke penalty is one of the biggest storylines of The Open Championship. But right when it seemed like the spotlight around him could not get any brighter, he found himself at the center of another rules conversation. This time, though, he called the officials upon himself and also had a little bit of fun with the crowd.

On the 18th hole, he called an official to report that his golf ball moved on its own and he had nothing to do with it. “He said that his ball moved slightly, but he did not cause it to move,” Golf.com wrote on X. “He appeared to make a joke that got a laugh out of the crowd around him.” Some videos on social media also show him trying to avoid stepping on the grass. Although not confirmed, the joke was most likely about yesterday’s penalty because he seemed to joke about that.

Bryson could be seen talking to the rules official and getting a confirmation that he wouldn’t be assessed a penalty because the ball moved. Later, when he was walking, he acted scared of the official. Then he flung his arm and tiptoed on the grass so as not to trample any fescues. A clear reference to his penalty from the second round. The crowd had a laugh about Bryson’s drollery, and cameras also caught a slight smirk hanging on his face. He went on to make a bogey on the hole. Now you might ask, did Bryson have to do that?

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

Under Which Golf Rule Was Bryson DeChambeau Penalized for Improving His Lie?

Rule 8.1 Rule 4.1b Rule 16.1 Rule 14.7b

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

Well, he is Bryson DeChambeau. After the punishment, late-night range sessions and all, he posted two images on his Instagram handle at 12:12 AM local time. In one he was seen levitating, and in another he was seen conversing with rules officials, but again, he was floating above the knee-deep fescue. He captioned the post “Walking into the weekend like…” joking that at Royal Birkdale, if you put your foot on grass, you might be penalized. And that has divided fan opinion spectacularly.

Take the comments heard on Birkdale. Sam Burns, his playing partner, said DeChambeau enjoyed huge fan support. In reality, it was mixed. Some cheered for his great shots, and some said, “F–k the R&A.” But then as he was walking toward the scoring arena after the final hole, a spectator screamed, “Bryson, you cheat.” Some quips were heard from the gallery: “The rough can’t help you now!”

As for his round, he had ample reasons to be happy. And no, he didn’t need any ‘help’ from the rough. He hit 66.2% greens in regulation and gained over a stroke in putting. His round featured three birdies and two bogeys. Currently, he sits in sixth position on the leaderboard with a six-under 204 after three rounds.

Bryson DeChambeau entertained fans and interacted with them about the same thing after calling the official. The 32-year-old has built a reputation as one of golf’s most visible showmen. He blends elite play with crowd interaction, self-aware humor, and a constant willingness to engage fans.

Consider his “Don’t boo me, I’m sorry” comment at the 2024 U.S. Open before taking a safer route and ignoring fan requests for a driver. Because of that, he drew laughs instead of boos after his shot. Many fans want to see this personality-driven side of professional golfers. He also gets a lot of attention for his YouTube presence and behind-the-scenes content.

This was not the end of the drama, though.

The R&A denied Bryson DeChambeau’s request

After completing his third round, he headed straight to The Open’s Championship office. Ben Parsons from Today’s Golfer reported that he was requesting his scorecard from yesterday. However, the request was apparently declined by Chief Executive Mark Darbon.

Bryson DeChambeau was also animated during his conversation with Darbon behind the 18th green. Upon the request being denied, the American professional went to the driving range without interacting with the media again. Since he didn’t speak with the media, there’s no confirmation of why he wanted the Friday scorecard.

However, staying true to his image of being friendly with fans, the two-time major winner signed autographs and took pictures with them.

During the post-round conference, Rory McIlroy had called the American professional “performative.” He said DeChambeau did what he did to get attention. Bryson DeChambeau was playing his round at the time, so he might not have heard it.

His visit to The Open Championship office has now added another layer to an eventful day for Bryson DeChambeau.