Bryson DeChambeau threatened to call Trump during Open penalty row

James Corrigan Mon, July 20, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTC

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Bryson DeChambeau argues with rules official Grant Moir, who issued him with a two-shot penalty - Sky

Bryson DeChambeau warned officials at The Open that he was ready to call President Trump in the tense stand-off that saw the American hit with a two-shot penalty for “inadvertently improving his lie”.

DeChambeau was fuming with the referees after the second round, when they informed him that he was to be sanctioned for an incident in the thick rough on the fifth, and that his 66 was going to be amended to a 68.

Despite being shown video replays that many, including Rory McIlroy, have since declared as conclusive, he demanded to be taken back to the area where the transgression occurred and, once back there, he angrily remonstrated with Grant Moir, the R&A’s rules supremo.

At one stage he told Moir, “I just won’t play tomorrow”. That reaction was widely pilloried in a saga that overshadowed the on-course action and which inspired criticisms from fellow players, most notably McIlroy who accused him of “holding the Open hostage” and being “performative”.

However, this latest revelation will inevitably lead to further charges of entitlement. In his “Quadrilateral” Substack (a publishing platform), respected journalist and course architect Geoff Shackelford was the first to report that in the 30-minute discussions with the R&A – including chief executive Mark Darbon – DeChambeau threatened Trump’s involvement.

Telegraph Sport later verified the claims. Trump’s involvement ultimately never came to pass despite DeChambeau’s ultimatums failing to convince the R&A to back down.

On Saturday, Darbon was asked if he had received a call from Trump, who he has dealt with before because of Trump’s attempts to persuade the R&A to take the Open back to Turnberry, the links he owns in Ayrshire. “No,” Darbon said. “I have not received a call from president Trump, and we’ll see what happens from here.”

On the face of it, the possibility seemed comical, but because of what transpired at the World Cup, the R&A was ready for his intervention. Trump caused an international sporting scandal by phoning Fifa president Gianni Infantino to overturn a red-card suspension for Folarin Balogun.

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The US striker’s punishment was downgraded and he was allowed to play in the last-16 match against Belgium. Trump was still boasting about his influence in a function before the final saying it had “worked out much better”.

However, when Trump walked out on to the pitch in New York for Sunday’s final, there was loud booing with supporters holding up red cards.

Donald Trump and DeChambeau are close - Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

DeChambeau is close to Trump and classes him as a friend. DeChambeau celebrated his 2024 US Open success over McIlroy with the Trump family, and serves on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

DeChambeau was in second place, one shot off the lead, before the penalty, but tailed away over the weekend to finish on four-under, in a tie for 14th, six shots off the winning score of Ryan Fox. DeChambeau, the two-time major winner, refused to address the media all week, but finally relented on Sunday evening when he spoke to Far and Sure, the golf website. He choice cast his disappointing climax as valiant, but reiterated that he was not certain to turn up for the third round.

“Even with what happened on Friday on the fifth hole, I still stuck it out,” DeChambeau said after his closing two-over 72. “I was definitely having thoughts of what I should do, and I said, ‘You know what, I’ve got to go out and play my absolute best.’ I hope that’s a testament to not giving up when adversity comes your way. That’s what I wanted to prove to myself – that I’m not a quitter. I’m not somebody that wants to do that. I want to give my all every single week, and that’s what I did.”

After missing the cut in the first three majors of the season, this was a dramatic improvement. “Even though I was hitting my irons beautifully, I just wasn’t driving it and iron-playing it where I need to be to win this tournament – really a letdown on my own part today,” DeChambeau admitted. “But I feel way more comfortable with the irons than I have in a long time with any iron set. I feel like it’s a nice advantage for me, finally, that I haven’t had in my whole golf career.

“I didn’t win, and for that I’m sad. But I’m proud of the way that I persevered through this week with all the different things going on.”

The R&A and DeChambeau’s management have been approached for comment.

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