DeChambeau accused of threatening to call Trump over Open golf penalty

Bryson DeChambeau was reportedly accused of threatening to call Donald Trump during an argument with officials about a penalty he received at The Open golf tournament.

Published 20 July 2026 489 words
SPORT B2
DeChambeau accused of threatening to call Trump over Open golf penalty

American golfer Bryson DeChambeau has been accused of threatening to contact Donald Trump during a heated discussion with senior officials from The R&A. The argument happened on Friday after DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty during The Open championship.

This incident is the latest surprising event in what has been the main story of the 2026 Open. DeChambeau was given a penalty because he reportedly improved the area around where he was about to hit the ball. He was standing on long grass behind his ball on the fifth hole during the second round at Royal Birkdale. DeChambeau strongly argued his case, even asking to return to the scene with the R&A's head of governance and a senior referee.

After returning to the scoring area, and with the R&A officials not changing their decision, the chief executive, Mark Darbon, joined the discussion. It is understood that during this conversation, DeChambeau said he would call Trump if the situation was not resolved in his favour. However, there is no information to suggest that DeChambeau actually made the call.

DeChambeau avoided speaking to the main news media throughout the tournament. The R&A has not yet made any official comment about the mention of Trump, which was first reported by the website the Quadrilateral.

Donald Trump is known to speak regularly with several famous golfers, including DeChambeau. In fact, at the Ryder Cup last year, Trump and DeChambeau had a friendly interaction, and DeChambeau had previously said that Trump would ‘inspire’ the US team.

The penalty given to DeChambeau, which fellow golfer Rory McIlroy later said was completely correct, caused him to lose his second-place position. After playing on Saturday, DeChambeau went directly to Mr Darbon's office to ask for his scorecard from the second round. This was an unusual request, but the R&A chief executive politely refused.

DeChambeau has stayed in the UK to compete in a LIV Golf event this week. His result at The Open, finishing in a tie for 14th place, was his best performance in a major golf championship in 2026. Representatives for DeChambeau have been contacted for a comment.

Vocabulary

accused — to say that someone has done something wrong or illegal
argument — a discussion or disagreement in which people express different opinions
penalty — a punishment given for breaking a rule or law
championship — a competition to decide who is the best, especially in a sport
reported — told or written about in a newspaper or on TV, or by someone else
officials — people who are in charge of or manage something, such as a sports event
incident — an event that is unusual or unexpected
refused — said that you did not want to do, give, or accept something

Discussion Questions

  1. Why was Bryson DeChambeau given a penalty during The Open?
  2. What is the reported consequence of DeChambeau's penalty on his tournament standing?
  3. According to the text, how has DeChambeau reacted to the penalty and the subsequent events?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

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