Graeme McDowell reacts to Bryson DeChambeau being handed a penalty at The Open

Graeme McDowell believes that Bryson DeChambeau did not mean to improve his lie on the fifth hole during the second round of The Open Championship, but probably did deserve a penalty over the incident.

Whatever happens over the final two days at Royal Birkdale, the 2026 Open Championship is likely to be remembered for the trials and tribulations of Bryson DeChambeau.

Drama has followed the LIV Golf star around Southport this week.

Graeme McDowell issues his verdict on the penalty Bryson DeChambeau received at The Open

Sir Nick Faldo accused DeChambeau of having no strategy when playing links golf ahead of the tournament. So it was no surprise that the American took a shot at Faldo after a bright first round.

And just when it appeared that DeChambeau had secured his spot in the final group on Saturday, the drama kicked into another gear, with the R&A keen to speak with the two-time US Open champion over a potential issue on the fifth hole of his second round.

DeChambeau had left himself in an awful position off the tee. And it turned out that he was being investigated for how he had stepped around his ball before hitting his approach.

Ultimately, it was deemed that DeChambeau had unintentionally improved the lie around the ball. He was handed a two-shot penalty, and will begin the third round three shots off the lead.

In truth, the penalty for DeChambeau did seem extremely harsh when you consider that the camera footage is somewhat open to interpretation.

However, taking to X, Graeme McDowell suggested that DeChambeau can have few complaints.

He wrote: ‘Interesting here with Bryson. Looks like he may be penalized. Standing behind the ball sizing up the shot in normal routine but ultimately trampled down grass walking into shot which would improve his backswing? That’s my take. What you guys see? Certainly not intentional imo.’

How Bryson DeChambeau nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Royal Birkdale

It is going to be fascinating to see how DeChambeau responds over the remainder of the tournament.

He is one player who will know how to use the decision as fuel to inspire him over the next two rounds. However, he so nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of a moral victory.

Had DeChambeau simply taken his penalty with good grace – which is easier said than done in the heat of the moment, admittedly – many would have had huge sympathy for him.

As McDowell suggests, there is virtually no chance of DeChambeau doing anything intentionally. He has to step somewhere, and the fact he is walking through long grass makes his movements look worse.

But DeChambeau left a question mark over whether he would continue playing in the tournament. A withdrawal would have been one of the biggest mistakes of DeChambeau’s career.

He still has the opportunity to win The Open Championship, an event many of us never saw him mastering. It would be even more incredible if he did after being penalised two shots.

For some, the damage will have already been done with DeChambeau even threatening to quit. But he still has time to win many of his critics back around over the next two rounds.