Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty at the Open Championship is still stirring things up, and the latest wrinkle is a report saying he wanted President Donald Trump to step into the mess. The situation mixed rules drama, big names, and a little bit of tournament chaos, which is exactly why it kept drawing attention well after the round ended.
DeChambeau, who has a well-known friendship with Trump, reportedly hoped the president could help push back against the two-stroke penalty he received at Royal Birkdale. That penalty came during his second round after officials said he stomped down tall grass near his ball, a move that crossed the line under the rules of golf.
The incident became one of the loudest talking points of the tournament because it hit a nerve with fans who love golf’s strict code. DeChambeau’s reaction only added fuel, especially after Rory McIlroy accused him of holding up the final major of the season by refusing to sign his scorecard right away.
Golf writer Geoff Shackelford reported that DeChambeau’s request to Trump was part of a longer conversation behind the scenes. According to the report, DeChambeau wanted Trump to join a campaign against the penalty that dropped his score from 66 to 68, even after he had already been allowed to go back to the spot where the issue happened.
That kind of ask might sound wild to some people, but DeChambeau and Trump have spent enough time together that the idea at least makes sense on paper. The two have played golf together before, and DeChambeau has leaned into that connection publicly more than once, which makes this report feel like a natural extension of their relationship.
Trump, though, reportedly passed on getting involved. The White House did not immediately comment, and the story stayed squarely in the world of golf gossip rather than turning into an actual political intervention.
Even so, the comparison to Trump’s past sports-related involvement was impossible to ignore. He had previously contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino about a red card situation involving Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, and FIFA later suspended the card, letting Balogun play in the Round of 16.
That outcome did not change the bigger result for Team USA, since Belgium still beat the Americans 4-1 and sent them home. But the memory was enough to make some people wonder if DeChambeau thought he might get a similar assist in golf, where a phone call from the right person would somehow soften the blow of a ruling.
At Royal Birkdale, though, the penalty stood, and the tournament moved on without any late reversal. DeChambeau eventually finished tied for 14th at 4-under, a respectable result but not the kind of ending that quiets down a rules controversy once it has already taken off.
Ryan Fox ended up taking the title after birdying his final hole to edge Cameron Young by one shot and finish at 10-under. That gave New Zealand a breakthrough major win and pushed the DeChambeau penalty story even further into the background, though the drama around it still hung over the weekend like a stubborn cloud.
For all the attention on the penalty, the episode also showed how quickly golf can turn into theater when frustration, star power, and a close call all collide. DeChambeau was still at the center of it, and the chatter around Trump only made the whole thing feel bigger than a standard rules dispute.
