Bryson DeChambeau’s Treatment of Volunteer Sparks Heated Debate After 40-Second Clip Went Viral

Often known as the bad guy in golf, Bryson DeChambeau has worked hard to restore his public image. Just last week, during the Open, his one gesture won everyone’s heart when he returned to the tee and hit a special driver shot down the driveway. However, by the time the Open ended, the 31-year-old found himself at the center of backlash once again.

The two-time U.S. Open champ began the week with a disastrous opening round when he shot 7-over par, seemingly taking himself out of contention. But in a surprising twist, he roared back with a 6-under 65 on Friday to make the cut—right on the line at 1-over. He credited his father for being able to fight back on the second day — “I woke up this morning and I said, you know what, I can’t give up. My dad always told me never to give up, just got to keep going, and that’s what I did today.”

DeChambeau had a consistent weekend after that. He finished with a great final round of 64, which moved him up the leaderboard and gave him a good tied 10th-place finish with a total of 9-under. While his comeback was commendable, it was the incident on the final day that caught more attention than his finish and led to widespread condemnation.

The incident occurred when a volunteer located DeChambeau’s errant shot in the rough. Frustrated by his wayward hit, the two-time major champ trudged his way over to find the golf ball in the long grass. As DeChambeau approached, he firmly told the volunteer, who was standing in the grass and pointed where the ball was, “You can move out of the way, thank you.” He continued to smirk and told his caddie, “Standing right in front of me,” hinting at the volunteer.

Well, the volunteer quickly stepped aside, but the brief interaction was caught on camera, prompting fierce debate on social media. While some saw it as a reasonable request under pressure, others viewed it as unnecessarily impolite. A widely shared post mockingly described the scene, saying, “The volunteer just stood there like Gilmore on the Waterbury first tee box” — a famous reference to the frozen, awkward stance of Adam Sandler’s character in Happy Gilmore, when he was nervous. The exchange became an unwanted talking point of an already chaotic week as DeChambeau even faced the heat for slow play on the second day. While some fans rushed to DeChambeau’s defense, not everyone agreed.

Fans react to DeChambeau’s treatment of a volunteer

The reaction online was immediate and divided. Some fans criticized DeChambeau’s tone, calling it dismissive toward someone who had just saved him from potentially losing strokes. “Common reaction is thank you so much for finding my ball and saving me two strokes,” one fan wrote. Instead of being grateful to the volunteer who saved DeChambeau, not just his time, but also the possibility of being penalized for a loss of ball, he chose to be impolite by immediately asking him to move.

Another added, “Did not give him 1 second to move. Not his fault you hit it into the cabbage,” hilariously referencing the thick rough at Dunluce as cabbage. The comment expressed frustration with DeChambeau’s lack of patience and hinted that it was DeChambeau who put himself in that position. Had he hit it straight, he wouldn’t even be there. Others echoed the sentiment when one said, “Gave him two seconds to move.” The rough at Royal Troon was thick and unforgiving all week, and volunteers played a vital role in locating balls for players under pressure.

Others, however, felt the backlash was overblown as they came out in support of DeChambeau. “A lot of people making something outta nothing just because it’s Bryson,” one fan said. The comment reflected a broader sentiment among DeChambeau’s supporters, who believe that his reputation often invites unfair scrutiny. To them, this was a fleeting, insignificant interaction during the heat of competition, which was blown out of proportion.

“Common sense would say, the smart thing to do is, stand off to the side. Point to the area where the ball is. And then slowly walk away from playing area. For everyone coming at Bryson needs to think logically for a second. Players have an X amount of time before they can get penalized. So the Fan who wanted to volunteer for the tournament standing in his way. Comes down to lack of common sense and this interaction falls more on him than Bryson,” another said in support of DeChambeau. The fan suggested that volunteers should be aware that once a ball is found, the best course of action is to step aside and allow the player full access to the area without delay. In their view, DeChambeau’s directive wasn’t disrespectful but rather a necessary response under tournament pressure, and the reaction from critics ignored the nuances of professional play.

As with many of DeChambeau’s actions, public reaction has split sharply. For some, the moment was a practical (and awkward) interaction during a high-pressure event. For others, it was another example of a player who struggles with being calm under pressure.