Bryson DeChambeau strengthened his position at The Open Championship with a second-round 66 on Friday, but the round was overshadowed by a potential two-stroke penalty following a possible rules violation.

The LIV Golf star was informed of the possible breach after signing his scorecard, leaving him facing an anxious wait as R&A officials reviewed the incident.

“Bryson DeChambeau was frustrated when he walked out of scoring, and he said to his camp, ‘they [being rules officials] said that I have improved my lie’,“ as per Todd Lewis of Golf Channel.

At the par-4 fifth hole, DeChambeau shot his only bogey of the round. He went right off the fairway and found the heavy rough. 

Following that, the 32-year-old went on to create some space for himself to swing by trampling down the grass behind his ball. That’s where the discrepancy lies.

"From what we understand, it’s from the fifth hole. He said he is going to show them he did not. We believe he is going to go back to the fifth hole to show them where the possible incident or rules infraction took place," Lewis added, as per Antony Martin of HITC.

The rules officials pointed out that while stepping on the grass, DeChambeau might’ve improved the lie by moving his ball.

DeChambeau disagreed, and right after, he joined the rules officials at the site of the controversy. An intense discussion followed in the long grass. 

As things stand, DeChambeau is one stroke off the lead heading into the weekend. His second-round 66 has put him in serious contention. However, the penalty could be a huge blow to his only goal at the Open.

According to R&A rules official Charlie Maran, DeChambeau could face a two-stroke penalty if he’s in the wrong.

Bryson DeChambeau is eyeing only one outcome at The Open

DeChambeau remains focused on only one objective at Royal Birkdale: winning The Open Championship

“I’m not trying to send a message to anybody other than me and myself, and knowing what I know I can do,” DeChambeau said, as reported by Daniel Blackham of The Mirror US. “You know, if I don’t win, I’ll be disappointed. Anything else is a loss, whether it’s second or anything past that, you know?”  

DeChambeau remains in the mix after the two solid rounds. He began with a 3-under-par 67 and now followed that up with a 66. 

Whether DeChambeau heads into the weekend one shot off the lead or two strokes back now depends entirely on the R&A's ruling, making the outcome of the review just as significant as his impressive second-round 66.

Do you think DeChambeau should be assessed a two-stroke penalty? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey