Open Championship: In the Bryson DeChambeau controversy, who’s right, who’s wrong? 

You didn’t think GrassGate was going away after just one day, did you? Come on. When one of the world’s most famous golfers gets penalized at one of the world’s most famous tournaments, setting off a cascade of hot takes and icy insults, well, the controversy doesn’t end when the round does. As Saturday rolled on and Rory McIlroy poured even more gasoline onto the fire while Bryson DeChambeau played, it’s time to sort out fact from fiction, assumption from analysis.

In the DeChambeau controversy, who’s right, who’s wrong? 

Let the Q&A begin! 

So how did this all start? 

Assuming you don’t mean “with the birth of Bryson James Aldritch DeChambeau,” this current conflagration really began back on Monday, when three-time Open champion Sir Nick Faldo accused DeChambeau of having “zero clue” when it came to strategy playing links golf. DeChambeau at the time was an easy target; he’d missed the cut in all three majors this year, he was fading from the national spotlight, and he’s always been an easy mark for golf’s establishment. 

DeChambeau declined to speak publicly about Faldo’s comments, instead answering the best way possible: an opening-day round of three under. He spoke under controlled conditions to prepared questions — no other player in the field did this — and used the word “strategy” several times, a clear response to Faldo and the many jabs he’d taken in the media. 

Aha! So this is the media’s fault! 

In the sense that the media reported on and amplified Faldo’s comments, and then sought out DeChambeau for his response, yes. But as with the national political media, there’s no such thing as a single hive-mind “golf media,” not anymore. Some media members come at the game as impartial observers, others lead with their own egos. Some give DeChambeau his due, others can’t wait to roast him over an open flame no matter what the circumstance. 

But all of them agree on this: DeChambeau is good content. Whatever he does resonates with people, so he remains at the forefront of the news the way that [journeyman golfer name withheld to prevent embarrassment] simply does not, and doesn’t deserve to. DeChambeau knows how to play the media, and sometimes that means not playing to the media. 

So then it’s Bryson’s fault? 

It’s worth noting that none of this would have happened if DeChambeau hadn’t stomped around in the grass around his ball enough to arouse suspicion. The other 155 players in the field have managed to play two-plus rounds without earning the same penalty. Whether intending to gain advantage or not, DeChambeau fundamentally made the decision to wander around the ball enough to raise eyebrows. The player is, at the end of all of this, both the initial decision-maker and the final focus, and the centerpiece of this entire event is what DeChambeau decided to do on the 5th hole. 

Now, as for what happened once he finished his round and met with officials from the R&A, the tournament’s organizer, well, that’s a slightly different story. 

Richard Heathcote via Getty Images

Got it. So this is the R&A’s fault. 

The R&A’s decision to drive DeChambeau all the way out to the back of the scene of the alleged crime, in full view of cameras, was a curious one. It was overly theatrical, one of many moments in this whole saga that strayed into the realm of performance. DeChambeau argued the ruling, as he rightly should have. But DeChambeau has exactly zero poker face, and the images of him trying to make his point didn’t exactly help his case. 

To keep the theatrics to a minimum, the R&A should have had its discussion with DeChambeau behind closed doors, and rendered its decision on improving one’s lie with finality. DeChambeau deserved the opportunity to plead his case, but the format turned it into a farce. 

At the heart of the issue is that DeChambeau apparently did what many players are doing now, intentionally or unintentionally, edging up to the line of improving his lie, and the rules (and enforcement) are unclear and lax enough that players are growing increasingly emboldened. 

So does that make it … the USGA’s fault? 

The United States Golf Association has the power to regulate and rewrite the rules of golf, but enforcement falls to individual tournaments. Still, the fact that we aren’t seeing more players called out, even when we’re seeing this captured on video, is perhaps a sign that enforcement is lacking. During last month’s U.S. Open, many social media experts believed that Wyndham Clark did something very similar to DeChambeau — even, perhaps, worse — but wasn’t called on it. 

Perfect. So this is Wyndham Clark’s fault. 

Clark missed the cut this week, so he’s not around to answer any questions about the whole mess. Which probably suits him just fine. 

In defense of Clark, and also DeChambeau, the whole "improving the lie” problem is something that’s growing rapidly as players push the envelope on what’s acceptable — sort of the way you’ll go 65 in a 55-mph zone, then 70, then 75 … 

Plus, it’s impossible to put cameras on every player … but certain players, like the leader of the U.S. Open and a star like DeChambeau, will draw more cameras than [unknown journeyman player name redacted, again]. The more you’re watched, the more someone will take issue when you skirt up against the unforgiving, and also unexpected, rules of golf. McIlroy made this exact point on Saturday, and it’s a correct one. 

There it is. This is Rory McIlroy’s fault. 

McIlroy, like everyone here, is coming in with significant biases that need to be considered when looking at the whole picture. He absolutely torched DeChambeau on Saturday afternoon, a stunning breach of esprit de corps among players. McIlroy suggested that he wasn’t alone among players who were taking a sharp interest in DeChambeau’s actions on the 5th hole. 

 “I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson,” McIlroy said. “I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention.”

Now, there are plenty of reasons why McIlroy might not like DeChambeau. He yanked the U.S. Open trophy out of McIlroy’s hands in 2024, then peppered him with small talk during the final round of the Masters in 2025. His YouTube persona can be a lot to deal with. He’s the symbol of LIV Golf, which McIlroy has ardently opposed, and he filed suit against the PGA Tour. 

But when DeChambeau sticks around late at night hitting golf balls, joking with the assembled media without giving any answers as to whether or not he’ll play, well, that might qualify as “performative.” 

Late at night … so this is the sun’s fault? 

DeChambeau has a habit of sticking around driving ranges past the level of all sanity. And that’s his right! That’s what keeps him grounded, and that’s how he improves his game. And you can’t really argue with the overall results. 

That said — if you’ve never been to a golf tournament, you’d be astounded at how much revolves around the players, and how much the entire operation caters to their comfort. Players are permitted to go anywhere and everywhere at their own pace, even if hundreds of fans and workers have to stop and wait. So when DeChambeau decides to hit golf balls hours after he came off the course, there’s a cascading effect on everyone else involved in the tournament. Whether he was there too late, or taking advantage of the opportunities given to him, is entirely your perception. 

But if anyone in the gallery was upset about DeChambeau’s late night, they didn’t take it out on him the next day, when he was greeted with cheers all along his route through Royal Birkdale. Proving, as always, that DeChambeau remains must-watch. 

Wait … is this all our fault? 

Look, nobody draws attention on the course like DeChambeau. Nobody else inspires cheers when he unsheathes his driver. Nobody else launches so many social media hot takes from fans and media alike. We’re all invested in this. It’s OK to admit it. 

DeChambeau didn’t wilt on Saturday — he’s four back of Sam Burns — meaning he’ll be very much in the conversation for a victory on Sunday. And if he finishes up a stroke or two off the winning mark … oh boy, will there be talk. We’re deep into this story now, but like a drive hitting the Royal Birkdale fairway, we’ve still got a long way to go.