Overview
- The R&A assessed Bryson DeChambeau a two‑stroke penalty for improving the area of his intended backswing under Rule 8.1 after television replays showed flattened grass behind his ball.
- DeChambeau loudly disputed the ruling on site and later told reporters he believed the penalty cost him a realistic chance at the Claret Jug.
- Reports said DeChambeau sought to contact President Trump for help during the dispute but those outreach claims remain unconfirmed by the R&A.
- President Trump told reporters he thought the call was "a tough call" and said he did not intervene in the R&A decision.
- The R&A defended the ruling as a clear application of Rule 8.1 that does not require proof of intent, and the episode has intensified debate over the use of broadcast replays and the role of political ties in elite sport.