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Bryson DeChambeau’s two-stroke penalty at the 2026 Open Championship was one of the most talked-about incidents on the course throughout the tournament, and it continues to make headlines after a recent report said he wanted to get President Donald Trump involved.
DeChambeau, who shares a close friendship with Trump, especially after playing golf together on the LIV Golf star’s YouTube channel, was penalized two strokes during his second round after he was seen stomping on tall grass near his ball, an illegal move.
Rory McIlroy claimed DeChambeau held the final major of the golf season hostage after refusing to sign his scorecard in the second round after finishing.
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President Donald Trump, right, walks toward the Oval Office as he returns to the White House with Bryson DeChambeau, winner of the 2024 U.S. Open, after playing golf on Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Now golf writer Geoff Shackelford is reporting that DeChambeau wanted to get Trump involved.
“Sources familiar with the thirty-minute discussion said DeChambeau wanted the president to join a campaign against the eventual two-stroke penalty that ultimately dropped his score from 66 to 68,” Shackelford wrote. “The request came after DeChambeau had already been granted a rare special dispensation to return to the stage where he has been stomping around tall fescue roughly in his comeback.”
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Trump reportedly rejected DeChambeau’s request to step in. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Pakinomist Digital.
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States rides in a buggy with a rules official after the second round of The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, on July 17, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Reuters)
There’s no telling what DeChambeau might have thought Trump could do, but after what happened in the FIFA World Cup with Team USA, he might be hoping for a similar result.
Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino, another close friend, to ask for a review of the red card given to Folarin Balogun – Team USA’s star striker throughout the tournament. Balogun’s controversial red card would have sidelined him for the round of 16 against Belgium, but FIFA suspended the red card allowing him to play.
It ultimately made no difference as Belgium handed the USA a 4-1 defeat to knock the host nation out of the tournament earlier this month.
Bryson DeChambeau shakes hands with Scottie Scheffler on the 18th hole during the second round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England on July 17, 2026. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
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DeChambeau finished tied for 14th at 4-under for the tournament at Royal Birkdale this past weekend. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox clinched his first ever major championship after birdying his final hole to beat American Cameron Young by one stroke with a tournament finish of 10 under.
