Scheffler backs DeChambeau after two-shot Open penalty

Scottie Scheffler has defended Bryson DeChambeau over the rules incident that overshadowed The Open at Royal Birkdale, saying his fellow American is "definitely not a cheater".

DeChambeau was handed a two-stroke penalty after Friday's second round when officials judged he had inadvertently improved his swing path on the fifth hole. The R&A, which runs The Open, said he had trampled down knee-high rough behind his ball, adding that while the action was accidental, the rule still applied.

What happened

• DeChambeau was penalised two strokes following his second round on Friday.
• The R&A said he inadvertently improved his swing path on the fifth hole by treading down rough behind his ball.
• He had thought a round of 66 left him one shot off the halfway lead before the penalty was applied.
• Weekend rounds of 69 and 72 left him six shots behind eventual champion Ryan Fox.

Scheffler, who was playing alongside DeChambeau when the incident occurred, said the video angles made any review far from conclusive. "I've never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf," he said. "Maybe he was a touch careless around his ball, but I don't think he did anything intentionally."

The fallout extended beyond the scorecard. R&A chief executive Mark Darbon described the penalty as a "clear-cut decision from a rules perspective". Rory McIlroy, who has said he is not fond of DeChambeau, argued there was "no doubt" the line of the backswing had been improved and accused his rival of holding the tournament "hostage". DeChambeau, who did not speak to the media all week, again declined to comment after Sunday's final round.

There had been doubt over whether DeChambeau would continue in the tournament at all, but he said on Friday the decision would "fire" him up for the weekend. He received a warm reception from the Birkdale crowd when he began the third round on Saturday, though a few isolated shouts inferred he was a cheat.

Wider questions for the game

Scheffler, the 2025 Open champion, rejected the suggestion that DeChambeau had cheated and turned the debate towards how the sport polices itself. "I think we need to get back to the traditions of the game and maybe we do need to police things a little bit more stricter," he said. The episode is likely to keep the balance between video review, self-regulation and player intent under discussion as the championship circuit moves on from Royal Birkdale.