Bryson DeChambeau caused huge controversy at The Open Championship last week.
DeChambeau was cruising along after two rounds, and sat just one shot adrift of the leader after he holed his putt for birdie on the 18th green at Royal Birkdale on Friday.
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However, that all changed very quickly, as we all know.
Within minutes of walking off the final green, Bryson DeChambeau was accosted by R&A officials who informed him that he had violated rule 8.1a during his second round at The Open.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Open officials handed DeChambeau a two-stroke penalty after it was decided that he had cleared the pathway to the back of his ball by trampling down the long grass in the rough.
The 32-year-old American was absolutely livid, and he even threatened to pull out of the championship.
That never happened, of course, but DeChambeau clearly felt he had been treated unfairly.
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What PGA Tour players and caddies are saying about Bryson DeChambeau controversy behind the scenes
Certain players criticized the LIV Golf star during their press conferences at Royal Birkdale.
Rory McIlroy ripped into DeChambeau at The Open, while other players like Shane Lowry and Marco Penge made it clear that the penalty given to the two-time US Open champion was fair.
However, many players stuck up for the 32-year-old as well.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler insisted that DeChambeau is not a cheater, just like many others did.
And now PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions caddie Kip Henley has taken to his X account to reveal what the players are saying about the incident behind the scenes.
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“I will say this,“ Henley began.
“So far all of the players and most of the caddies I have spoken to or heard mention the Bryson episode have his back and believe he DID NOT CHEAT.“
In fairness, it seems like that is the general consensus on the matter among the worldwide golfing community.
However, he was definitely clumsy in the way that he entered the rough and approached his ball.
Bryson DeChambeau has to address The Open fiasco publicly
The two-shot penalty was fair because there doesn’t have to be intention from a player in order to break a rule.
In DeChambeau’s defence, he will be fully aware that there will be cameras on him on every single hole, every time he steps onto the golf course.
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Surely he would not have done what he did intentionally, in the knowledge that the golfing world was watching him.
Hopefully Bryson DeChambeau puts his Open controversy behind him as soon as possible.
However, he would certainly help himself if he came out and addressed the controversy during a press conference.
Hiding away from the issue is certainly not doing him any favors whatsoever.
Read the full article here
