Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 right
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty after officials reviewed fan video showing him stepping on grass behind his ball on the fifth hole during Friday’s round.
- The penalty was applied after his round ended, and officials took him back to the hole in question before ruling he’d improved his backswing line.
- DeChambeau reacted with visible frustration and appeared to suggest he might not continue playing, before rebounding with a 1-under 69 in round three.
- Ryan Fox shot a 62 on Saturday, tying the major championship scoring record already matched twice that week, and Sam Burns led the tournament at 10-under.
Where they differ
- Fox News’s first article centers on McIlroy’s blunt criticism of DeChambeau as “performative” and attention-seeking, giving his quotes the most weight.
- Fox News’s second article frames the story through the long-running Chamblee-DeChambeau feud, portraying Chamblee’s criticism as personal and habitual rather than purely rules-based.
- The New York Post’s article doesn’t cover the penalty controversy at all, focusing instead on Ryan Fox’s record-tying 62 and Xander Schauffele’s praise of the round.
- Fox News includes Schauffele’s more sympathetic reaction to DeChambeau’s penalty, while the Post quotes Schauffele only on golf performance, not the controversy.
Bryson DeChambeau was hit with a two-stroke penalty during the third round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale after officials determined he improved his lie by trampling down fescue grass behind his ball on the fifth hole during Friday’s second round. Rory McIlroy publicly criticized DeChambeau’s lengthy, heated reaction to the ruling as “performative,” while DeChambeau battled back with a 1-under 69 on Saturday to sit at 6-under, four shots behind leader Sam Burns.
What exactly happened with the penalty?
Officials reviewed fan video circulating on social media that showed DeChambeau stepping on tall grass behind his ball on the fifth hole during Friday’s round, which he’d finished with a 66 that put him in second place. After DeChambeau completed his round, officials brought him back to the fifth hole to examine the spot in question. They concluded he had improved the line of his backswing and assessed a two-stroke penalty. During the resulting conversation with officials, DeChambeau appeared visibly upset and reportedly indicated at one point that he might not play Saturday’s round.
What did McIlroy say about DeChambeau?
Speaking to reporters after his own third-round 69, McIlroy did not hold back. He said he is “not particularly fond” of DeChambeau and called much of his behavior “performative” and done “for attention.” McIlroy said the delay caused by DeChambeau’s argument with officials made players, volunteers and everyone else wait on him, calling it a bad look. He also said he had no doubt DeChambeau had improved his backswing line, adding that whether it was careless or intentional didn’t change his view that the penalty was justified. McIlroy is well off the pace himself, tied for 30th at 2-under.
Did other players see it the same way?
Not entirely. Xander Schauffele, a past Open champion, called the situation “unfortunate,” noting that DeChambeau maintained the improvement wasn’t intentional and was playing well before and after the penalty. Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee, who has feuded publicly with DeChambeau for years, took a much harsher line, saying DeChambeau committed “multiple infractions” and accusing him of doing “everything but take a weed wacker” to the grass. Chamblee argued DeChambeau should simply have accepted the ruling.
How did DeChambeau respond on the course?
He answered with a solid round, shooting 1-under 69 in the third round to move to 6-under overall, putting him four strokes behind Burns, who leads at 10-under after backing up a 62 on Friday with a 65 on Saturday. If DeChambeau finishes within two strokes of the winner, the penalty and the surrounding controversy are likely to remain a talking point well after the tournament ends.
What else stood out in Saturday’s round?
Separately from the DeChambeau controversy, Saturday’s third round produced more history at Royal Birkdale. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox shot a 62, tying the major championship record for lowest round that had already been matched twice this week by Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns. Fox’s round included nine birdies and one bogey and briefly tied him for the tournament lead before the last groups teed off. He finished the day two shots behind Burns. Fox’s 62 was the eighth in major championship history, joining rounds by Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry, Branden Grace, Herbert and Burns. Playing partner Schauffele, who shot 66, praised Fox’s round as especially impressive given the difficult pin placements officials had set to prevent another low score.
Why does this matter beyond one tournament?
The DeChambeau-McIlroy exchange is the latest flashpoint in an ongoing rivalry and personality clash that has played out publicly since DeChambeau left for LIV Golf. It also reignites debate over how golf enforces rules retroactively based on fan-supplied video, a recurring issue in professional golf. Meanwhile, the record-tying scoring on a major championship course raises questions about course setup and conditions, with players like Schauffele suggesting officials are already adjusting pin placements to guard against more historically low rounds.
Sources
- Fox News — article 1 · article 2
- New York Post
Featured photo by Rafał Emme on Unsplash