Bryson DeChambeau threatened to call Donald Trump during an extraordinary rules row at The Open after receiving a two-shot penalty on Friday. Well-placed sources confirmed to Daily Mail Sport that the double US Open champion warned he might seek a presidential intervention at the height of the drama.
Unlike a recent World Cup controversy involving USMNT striker Folarin Balogun, the White House did not get involved and the penalty was not overturned. Respected American course architect and author Geoff Shackelford first revealed the detail late on Sunday, after Ryan Fox won golf's oldest major.
The 32-year-old American was hit with the two-shot penalty during the second round after inadvertently improving his lie by appearing to trample the grass behind his ball. He angrily protested his innocence and demanded to be returned to the site of the incident before threatening to withdraw from the championship.
DeChambeau then returned to the championship offices, where he continued protesting for another half-hour and raised the possibility of calling Trump, who is a close friend. The penalty caused the LIV Golf rebel to fall from one shot off the 36-hole lead to three strokes back before sliding further down the leaderboard on Sunday.
DeChambeau finished the final round at four under par, six shots behind winner Ryan Fox, rendering the penalty inconsequential to the final outcome. While Fox's victory ended the tournament, DeChambeau's dispute remained the dominant theme of the week.
Rival Players React to Rules Penalty
Scottie Scheffler insisted that DeChambeau was not a 'cheat', but world No 2 Rory McIlroy was scathing about his rival's conduct. Speaking on Saturday, McIlroy said: "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, it was pretty obvious for why."
McIlroy added: "I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it is 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."
Previous Presidential Interventions in Sport
The attempt to involve Trump follows a previous sports incident during the FIFA World Cup, when USA striker Folarin Balogun was sent off in a last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun faced a ban from the last-16 match against Belgium, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a close confidante of Trump, suspended the ban after the US President personally called him.
Despite Trump's intervention, Belgium defeated the United States 4-1. The 80-year-old president repeatedly boasted about his involvement, claiming things "worked out much better" before being booed by fans when walking onto the pitch before Sunday's final.
DeChambeau's plea carries added significance because the pair are close friends. After winning the US Open in 2024, DeChambeau celebrated his success with the president's family, and he also serves on Trump's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
The situation also follows police bodycam footage showing legendary golfer Tiger Woods telling officers he was on the phone with the US President following a car crash in March. Woods, who is dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, a charge to which he pleaded not guilty.
In the bodycam footage, as Woods walked toward an officer at the crash scene, he said: "Thank you so much. All right. You got it. Bye. I was just talking to the President." Trump has previously described Woods as a "very close friend" and an "amazing man".
