Scheffler defends DeChambeau over Open rules incident

Scottie Scheffler has publicly backed Bryson DeChambeau after the rules controversy that overshadowed the second round of The Open at Royal Birkdale, insisting his Ryder Cup team-mate is "not a cheater".

DeChambeau, a two-time US Open champion, was handed a two-shot penalty during his second round at the final men's major of the year. Officials ruled he had improved the line of his backswing in long grass at the par-four fifth, a decision that turned a bogey into a triple-bogey seven and ended his hopes of taking the halfway lead.

What happened

The penalty prompted lengthy discussions with rules officials that ran late into Friday evening at Royal Birkdale. Speculation that DeChambeau would withdraw in protest was quickly dismissed by the American, who declined media duties after each round but said on social media that the decision had "fired him up" to keep playing.

Rory McIlroy criticised what he described as DeChambeau's "performative" behaviour, pointing to the extended post-round discussion on the course and a late-night practice session on the range. The R&A, which runs The Open, accepted that DeChambeau's actions were unintentional.

Scheffler's verdict

• DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty during his second round at Royal Birkdale.
• Officials judged that he improved the line of his backswing in long grass at the par-four fifth.
• The penalty converted a bogey into a triple-bogey seven.
• Scheffler, who finished tied fourth, said he has never seen DeChambeau cheat.
• The R&A accepted the actions were unintentional.

Speaking after his tied-fourth finish, Scheffler said he had known DeChambeau for a long time and had never seen anything suspicious, including during amateur putting and chipping contests. He acknowledged that from a distant camera angle DeChambeau may have looked "a touch careless" around his ball, but said he did not believe anything was done intentionally — a view he held back from expressing until the final day.

The world No 1 also raised the wider question of how the rules are applied on tour, suggesting there may be a case for policing players more strictly, while noting that close-up angles and broadcast shots can make incidents appear different from how they look on the ground. With DeChambeau choosing to play on rather than withdraw, the debate over rules enforcement and television scrutiny is likely to follow the tour into its next events.