Bryson DeChambeau shot a third-round 69 to fall four strokes behind leader Sam Burns after facing spectator heckling over a grass-manipulation penalty. The American golfer entered Saturday at four under par following a controversial two-shot penalty incurred during Friday's round.
A little before 3 p.m., half an hour before his tee-time, DeChambeau emerged from a network of secluded pathways toward the driving range. A small group of children and adults lined the fences waiting for autographs, as they typically do wherever he plays.
However, one boy aged no more than 12 offered advice instead of asking for a signature. "Keep your feet off the grass this time, Bryson," the boy called out. DeChambeau kept his head down and walked directly to the driving range without smiling or glancing at the youngster.
The spectator comment followed Friday's incident where DeChambeau stomped the grass to clear a swing path into a row of fescue. Officials issued a two-shot penalty for what DeChambeau described as inadvertent actions, leading him to process the decision on the range until 10:30 p.m. that night.
Driving Range Preparation and Leaderboard Context
DeChambeau hit balls on the practice range before walking to the first tee box. At the time, Lucas Herbert held the tournament lead, while Rory McIlroy remained far out of contention. Meanwhile, Ryan Fox shot a 62 and Tommy Fleetwood launched a charge further up the course.
Media members, adults, and children gathered in large numbers around the opening tee to watch DeChambeau begin his third round. The pressure created an intense atmosphere as galleries closely tracked his every movement.
Bryson DeChambeau stepped out onto the green on Saturday with the eyes of the world on him.
The crowd may have flung a handful of insults at him but he had the crowd roaring for him too.
First Hole Roars and Spectator Jokes
Fans filled the grandstands wrapping around three sides of the narrow first tee box and cheered loudly as DeChambeau stepped up to hit. He struck a five-wood 250 yards up the left side, landing in the rough.
A local spectator shouted, "Careful Bryson," prompting giggles from nearby spectators. DeChambeau avoided touching the grass, floated an approach shot to the back of the green, and made par. His playing partner Sam Burns also opened with a par on the first hole.
On the second hole, DeChambeau pulled another drive left into deeper rough. A fan called out, "Careful where you stand, Bryson!" before DeChambeau recorded a bogey to fall to four under par and four shots off the lead.
As DeChambeau walked toward the third green, a spectator yelled, "Forget about that penalty, Bryson, lad!" Another fan shouted "cheat" in a lighthearted, pantomime manner near the green.
Return to the Fifth Hole
DeChambeau reached the fifth hole, the exact location of Friday's rule infraction. On Friday, officials penalised him for improving his lie after he treaded down thick fescue behind his golf ball, despite his vocal protests to tournament officials.
During Saturday's round, DeChambeau drove his ball left into the rough once again on the fifth hole. A spectator shouted "cheat" with firmer conviction, but surrounding spectators quickly silenced the heckler. DeChambeau focused and completed the hole for a par.
Rory McIlroy Critical Comments
At 4:30 p.m., Rory McIlroy finished his round of 69 and addressed the media. McIlroy offered a sharp assessment of DeChambeau, stating that he was not "fond" of him and revealing that a group of players felt an infraction had occurred.
McIlroy described DeChambeau's angry reaction to officials on Friday as "performative" and added that the tournament had been "held hostage" by the situation.
Rory McIlroy did not hold back in his assessment of DeChambeau after he finished up.
Despite registering his worst score of the week, it was also somehow his most impressive.
Back Nine Recovery and Bunker Saves
Despite the criticism and shouting from spectators, DeChambeau displayed strong focus to rebuild his round. He collected birdies on the sixth, 15th, and 17th holes to move up the leaderboard.
DeChambeau also produced essential par saves from green-side bunkers on the 12th, 13th, and 14th holes. His par save on the 14th hole required extreme physical flexibility to execute the shot from the sand.
As evening approached and spectators consumed alcohol, additional shouts came from the gallery. On the 18th hole, a man in the grandstand called DeChambeau a "cheat" as he finished his round.
DeChambeau bogeyed the 18th hole to sign for a 3-under 69, bringing his total score to six under par. Although 69 marked his highest score of the week, his resilience made it one of his most impressive performances.
Sam Burns Takes Two-Stroke Lead
While attention focused on DeChambeau, Sam Burns delivered an outstanding round. Burns parred the first hole and recorded six birdies over the remaining 17 holes to sign for a 5-under 65.
Burns reached a 10-under-par total to take a two-stroke lead into the final round ahead of Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim. Burns had only decided to enter the tournament on the previous Friday.
Post-Round Confrontation with R&A Chief Executive
After completing his round, DeChambeau engaged in a heated discussion with Mark Darbon, the chief executive of The R&A. DeChambeau demanded to receive his official scorecard from Friday's round before leaving the facility.
