Bryson DeChambeau's penalty at The Open Championship has been one of the biggest talking points and has been generating conversation weeks later. After several analysts and fellow golfers joined in on the debate, Justin Thomas has now given his view on the incident. 

The incident in question is the controversial two-shot penalty that was handed to DeChambeau at Royal Birkdale. The officials levied the penalty after they concluded that he had adjusted the ground around his intended swing path while playing from the rough during the second round of The Open. 

During his recent appearance on the podcast 'We Need a Fourth', Justin Thomas was questioned about his take on the penalty, during which he did not hold back from sharing what exactly went through his mind. 

"I very genuinely do not think that he did it intentionally or in a way of cheating," Thomas said on the podcast. “But when he first got in there, like when I saw that, I’m like, 'That’s too much.'"

Justin Thomas did not stop at that. He went on to explain why the penalty mattered so much. 

"I think guys do that without paying attention. I had a conversation with our rules officials just after. It’s such a bad look and a tough look when it’s Bryson or a LIV player."

However, Thomas also believes that getting penalized to some extent can lead to accountability. He said:

"I hope that this kind of starts a trend of accountability. Whether you’re trying to do it or not, if you’re doing something borderline, you’re going to be penalized, and that way guys are more careful."

While Thomas made it clear that he does not believe DeChambeau cheated, he does believe that the penalty sends an important message to the golf players that mistakes could also lead to consequences. 

When Bryson DeChambeau opened up about the penalty at The Open

After reviewing the swing, the officials handed DeChambeau a two-shot penalty, which turned his bogey into a triple-bogey seven. This moved him from second to fifth in the standings on the Open leaderboard. 

While speaking to the media post the ruling, Bryson DeChambeau expressed how he felt. 

"I made the cut," DeChambeau said via Sky Sport. "It was a good fight. I wish I'd have given it more on Saturday and Sunday; it felt like I could have. Besides the fifth, being three over on it, and the 11th, that's six shots. That's tied for the lead right there. Two holes and I'm right there for the Claret Jug." 

He had also threatened to leave the tournament to mark the protest against the ruling that was made by the officials. However, he continued to play and was left wondering about what could have been. 

What are your thoughts on this?

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi