For the seventh straight round in a major championship, Bryson DeChambeau declined traditional media – television, radio and print.
Saturday’s Heisman came after DeChambeau shot 1-under 69, a day removed from being penalized two strokes for improving the conditions of his intended swing path in the high fescue right of the fifth hole and DeChambeau’s subsequent protest, which included the proposition of boycotting the third round.
DeChambeau ultimately decided to play late Friday night, posting his only public comment on the ruling to date on social media: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”
As DeChambeau’s competitors wrapped up their third rounds on Saturday, many of them fielded questions about what had transpired with DeChambeau a day earlier:
“I feel bad for him” – Sam Burns, who played alongside DeChambeau, with whom he shares an agent, Brett Falkoff
“I thought the fans were very supportive of Bryson today. We didn’t discuss it any. In my personal opinion, I honestly feel bad for Bryson in the situation that he was in. From my perspective, I didn’t feel like maybe there was enough evidence for him to deserve a penalty there.
“I feel bad for him. I think he played an incredible round of golf late yesterday, and it’s unfortunate to have something kind of like that where they come in after your round and tell you you’re being docked two shots. But props to him. He came out and played a really nice round of golf today, and that takes a lot of grit to be able to come out and do that.”
“No doubt that he improved the line of his backswing” – Rory McIlroy
“I was watching it live. I was up in the players lounge watching it with a few other players, and as soon as he made the step into the ball, we all sort of looked at each other, and we were like, that didn’t seem right. Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, I think we all – it was pretty obvious for why.
“Yeah, I think there’s no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, it’s like, whether it was careless or whether it was intentional, I don’t think it matters. Hopefully it was careless, but I think the two-shot penalty was justified for sure…
“Late night for everyone [waiting to get tee times]. Yeah, look, I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention. To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.
“Look, he’s going to say – like, again, I’m not in his mind. I’m not in his – but it didn’t look good…
“It’s hard. Every shot is on camera. There’s a lot of guys that play this week and the shots aren’t on camera. So you can say that that’s unfair or whatever, or it might happen more than it does. It’s obviously impossible to police everyone, and that’s why it is, for the most part, a self-policing game.
“I think when there is obvious evidence like there was last night, then obviously that’s a different story.”
“I do have a ton to say ... I just don’t really feel like now is the time or place for me to comment” – Scottie Scheffler, who was grouped with DeChambeau on Friday
“I was playing with him yesterday. I don’t really have a ton to say on it. Actually, I do have a ton to say. I haven’t decided exactly what I want to say publicly yet. I do have some thoughts. I just don’t really feel like now is the time or place for me to comment. We’re in the middle of a tournament, and I’m focused on what I need to do. I need to go out tomorrow and shoot a low round. I’m not really going to expand on it too much.”
“That’s the rules” – Shane Lowry
“I mean, looks to me like he improved his lie, and that’s the rules of golf. Yeah, it was interesting watching it last night. None of us were expecting it. I was watching the end of the golf -- yeah, that’s the rules of golf. It’s unfortunate for him, but that’s the way it is…
“I’m not going to stand here and say that much. It’s not really much on me. Obviously it is what it is. It happened. I see he’s doing okay today. It was obviously going to be very tough for him to go out and play today after that happening, but yeah.”
“What I saw … wasn’t enough for me to draw a conclusion” – Jon Rahm
“We were the group behind, so I was aware when we got to scoring. I can tell you, I’ve heard there’s multiple angles. I’ve only seen the face-on one. So I can’t really give you an idea. For people who have seen all the images, I think the consensus is that, although it wasn’t intentional, it was an infraction. That’s what I understand, but I haven’t seen. I guess there’s a down the line shot that I haven’t seen. I couldn’t tell you.
“What I saw face-on to me wasn’t enough for me to draw a conclusion. I wish I could tell you more. If you have the video, I’ll see it, but I haven’t seen it…
“There are some players that do really well when they have some, let’s say some extra going on off the course. Some of his better performances this year in Singapore and South Africa, he had – and I don’t know the extent of it – quite a bit going on off of course, quite a bit. Some of those things, I think it was more than one, but one of them that I learned, I wouldn’t wish on anybody, and he was able to perform incredibly well with a lot of added extra, let’s say, noise and distraction.
“It’s a lot easier to do in a regular event rather than an Open Championship when he thought he was going to go to sleep one shot back and finds himself three shots back. He seems to be doing just fine.”
“I’ve known Bryson for a very long time … I know he would never cheat the game of golf” – Max Homa
“I’m not really, I guess, wanting to be able to decide on fair, because they’re the rules officials. I only saw one angle, and in my opinion I didn’t agree with the ruling. I know there’s another angle that – side on, it’s always hard to tell if it improves anything. All I know is I’ve known Bryson for a very long time, and he’s an interesting human at times, but I know he would never cheat the game of golf. I don’t really love how it happened. It’s not that the R&A said that he did it intentionally, but that rule as a professional golfer feels like it’s written inherently to protect against people trying to improve their lie. So, I just hope that doesn’t create a narrative because I don’t believe that of him.
“But again, I’m not going to sit here – it’s really hard to tell anything. So yeah, that one is not up for me to judge. But it’s a shame how that ruling feels because it seems like – we were talking about it this morning. It’s like you would try to call somebody out in junior golf because you could tell they were stomping around the ball. It didn’t look like that to me. But that’s not up to me. I just don’t think that’s in his character, so it’s a shame I think that’s kind of how it’s being portrayed to some…
“Yeah, obviously he’s right to be frustrated. He was one back and now he’s three. But yeah, too, like I said before, just the way I’ve heard that ruling, how I interpret that ruling, it feels very much like an intent-based thing, and if you’re telling a player that they did it, it sounds like, just from a player’s perspective, you’re telling me I intentionally tried to cheat the game. I agree with him for being frustrated, especially I’m assuming that was not his intent. I understood the demonstrative nature and actions because it probably just feels a bit like an indictment. But the rules are complicated. It’s crazy. We’re hoping they made the right one.
“Again, I can’t sit here and tell you if they did. But I’m sure he’ll use it in the right way and put a chip on his shoulder because I don’t think anybody thinks that he was trying to do that hopefully.”
“He’s just stepping in how you’d normally step in to hit a golf shot” – Xander Schauffele
“I don’t have social media, so I was wondering why our tee times weren’t coming out at about 10:50 p.m. last night. I’m assuming that had something to do with it. It’s a tough one. Who knows. I have no idea, to be honest. I’m assuming you talked to Bryson? I haven’t spoken to him or heard what he said, but he’s just stepping in how you’d normally step in to hit a golf shot. I think the R&A said something along the lines of whether it’s intentional or not, it’s still a penalty. It’s a tough spot to be, obviously, when you’re in high brush, kind of having to dance around to get to your golf ball is a tricky thing. It’s not something we’re used to doing that often. You imagine you give him the benefit of the doubt; he said he didn’t do it intentionally, and it’s unfortunate that he got penalized because he was playing incredibly well and obviously he’s still playing incredibly well, so he’s obviously going to have something to prove these next two days.”
“If I was in that position, I’d just be very careful where I’m standing and how I get into the ball” – Marco Penge
“I mean, probably shouldn’t give my opinion on it. Yeah, I mean, you can obviously see on the TV. Everyone has got their own opinion of the scenario. Yeah, it’s really – with it being so burnt out, as well. I remember day one, four times on the front nine I was in the semi-rough and I wasn’t even – I didn’t ground the club or get anywhere near it because your club is slipping all over the place, so it’s so easy to make a mistake by accident. Yeah, that one was – I’ll leave that to everyone else.
“If I was in that position, I’d just be very careful where I’m standing and how I get into the ball and make sure I don’t improve my lie. Yeah, I would never want anyone to think I was doing that. That’s how I would deal with it. But yeah.”
“He’s on TV every single shot” – Russell Henley
“I saw the video of it. Not being there being able to see it, I don’t really have a strong opinion. Clearly they’re talking about he improved his backswing. I don’t know what it looked like before he came back over there or if the bush came back up after he stepped on it. But yeah, that’s a tough one for him…
“I think it’s tough. Every shot is so important. It’s tough in the moment to take it no matter. But I would rather know that I did something wrong and be penalized for it than – I’d like to know. It’s unfortunate, but I think everybody should be held accountable for the same rules. The issue with that to me is the fact that he’s on TV every shot. If I played that hole yesterday, you might not have seen if I did the same thing, maybe they don’t penalize me because maybe they don’t see me do it. That’s the tough part; he’s on TV every single shot.”