President Donald Trump has shared his thoughts on the controversial two-shot penalty that Bryson DeChambeau received during The 2026 Open Championship, describing the ruling as a “tough call.” His comments came days after the incident at Royal Birkdale sparked widespread debate across the golf world.
DeChambeau became one of the biggest talking points of The Open after officials ruled that he had improved the area of his intended backswing while playing from deep rough on the fifth hole during the second round. The penalty cost him two strokes and significantly affected his position on the leaderboard.
Reports later claimed that DeChambeau wanted Trump, a longtime friend and golf supporter, to become involved while he argued his case with R&A officials. However, the governing body later confirmed that Trump never contacted them about the decision.
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Trump says the ruling was a “tough call”
Speaking to Fox News, Trump was asked whether he saw himself as someone who could step in to help resolve sporting controversies because of his relationships with high-profile athletes.
Trump dismissed that idea but admitted he felt the decision against DeChambeau was harsh.
“I thought the Bryson call was a tough call,” he said. “You know, I saw him walking around. I see a lot of people, they’re walking around looking for their ball and weeds. OK, but I’ve been watching that. So, you know, I thought it was a tough call against him. Well, it’s not a fix.”
However, Trump stopped short of saying the ruling should have been overturned, but his comments showed he sympathized with DeChambeau after watching the incident unfold.
R&A stood by its decision
The incident happened shortly after DeChambeau completed his second round. Officials reviewed video of the fifth hole and ruled that he had inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing by flattening grass behind his ball.
After leaving the 18th green, DeChambeau returned to the fifth hole with R&A Executive Director of Governance Grant Moir and referee Mark Litton to review the situation. The discussions lasted more than an hour before officials confirmed the two-shot penalty under Rule 8.1.
The penalty changed the tournament dramatically. Instead of finishing Friday just one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert, DeChambeau started the weekend three shots back. Although he continued to compete, he could not recover and eventually finished tied for 14th, six shots behind champion Ryan Fox.
R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon later defended the decision, describing it as a straightforward application of the Rules of Golf. He also confirmed that President Trump never contacted the R&A during or after the incident.
Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA
