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Bryson DeChambeau was handed a controversial two-stroke penalty at The Open last week, and President Donald Trump said it was a “tough call.”
DeChambeau reportedly wanted to contact Trump for help after the LIV Golf star engaged in a heated exchange with rules officials at The Open. The president did not intervene but sympathized with DeChambeau when asked about it this week.
“I thought the Bryson call was a tough call,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.
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President Donald Trump speaks at Wheeler High School on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Marietta, Ga. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
“I saw him walking around. I see a lot of people walking around looking for their ball in the weeds. All right. But I’ve seen it, so you know, I thought it was a tough call on him.”
On the fifth hole during DeChambeau’s second round at The Open, he appeared to go through the weeds, stomped on the rough behind him and flattened it for his swing out of the rough. After the round, he went back to the tall fescue and pleaded his case to the authorities, but to no avail.
Having been involved with FIFA suspending Folarin Balogun’s red card for the USMNT’s Round of 16 match against Belgium, and now with DeChambeau, Trump was asked if there was precedent for someone in his position to become an athlete fixer.
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Bryson DeChambeau of the United States talks to a rules office before teeing off on the 18th hole during the third day of the British Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Peter Morrison/AP)
“Well, that’s not a fixer. You mean to be a judge,” Trump said.
Trump compared DeChambeau’s situation to Balgoun’s and said the red card suspended by FIFA worked “brilliantly”.
“I thought the red card was a very difficult call and it worked brilliantly. Look, if they didn’t let him play and we lost, everyone would have been angry, right? That’s how they lost with their best player. Now everyone is happy, including Belgium. Of course they lost the next game, so maybe they’re not so happy either.
“But it worked well. (Gianni Infantino) did a good job making that call. All I did, I asked for a review. I thought that call was not a good call.”
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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)
While Balogun was able to play, the USMNT lost 4–1 to Belgium, ending their World Cup run in the Round of 16.
As for DeChambeau, he remained in the hunt despite the two-stroke penalty until he triple-bogeyed the 11th hole in the final round on Sunday, effectively putting him out of contention.
DeChambeau finished 4 under for The Open, tied for 14th. The Open was the only major championship where DeChambeau made the cut this season.
