'Bit of a joke': Pro laments chaos set off by Bryson DeChambeau's Open penalty

As if the vagaries of links golf weren’t unsettling enough, the chaotic close to Friday’s second round of the Open Championship at baked-out Royal Birkdale added another layer of volatility into the mix.

By now, you know the Bryson DeChambeau saga — his adventure wide right of the par-4 5th hole, the two-shot penalty he was assessed for inadvertently improving his lie, and his reaction to the R&A’s decision, including his threat to pull out of the competition.

Even as the ruling set off a firestorm online, the commotion around it created a logistical ripple effect on the championship itself. With the R&A consumed with other matters, Saturday’s third-round tee times weren’t released until late Friday evening, leaving players waiting to figure out their plans.

England’s Marco Penge at least had the advantage of spending the evening in the comfort of his own home, about an hour from Royal Birkdale.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a joke really,” Penge said after his third round. “I’m staying at home this week, which is an hour away, and not getting a tee time until 11 p.m. is not great, really. We could have at least got a heads up for what the first tee time was going to be. Obviously there was a lot of commotion, so that delayed things.”

Penge wound up getting the 9:45 a.m. tee time alongside Kristoffer Reitan and shooting a third-round 69 to reach one under for the championship. Did the delay affect his play? Penge dismissed that notion but said that some of his peers felt differently.

“No, nothing to do with me,” he said. “But yeah. That’s what some players are like.”

What about the penalty itself? Unlike some prominent voices, including Rory McIlroy, who called the ruling “justified for sure,” Penge treaded around the topic more delicately than DeChambeau walked around his ball.

“I mean, probably shouldn’t give my opinion on it,” Penge said. “Everyone has got their own opinion of the scenario. With it being so burnt out, as well … your club is slipping all over the place, so it’s so easy to make a mistake by accident. I’ll leave that to everyone else.”

When asked whether he thought DeChambeau knew what he was doing, Penge again resisted offering a verdict.

“If I was in that position, I’d just be very careful where I’m standing and how I get into the ball and make sure I don’t improve my lie,” he said. “I would never want anyone to think I was doing that. That’s how I would deal with it.”

Barring another late-night rules drama, Penge will presumably know his Sunday tee time a good deal earlier tonight. The incident underscores how precarious a major championship schedule can be, especially when contentious rulings and their fallout are involved. DeChambeau's situation at the 5th hole serves as a stark reminder of how even a seemingly minor infraction or misunderstanding of the rules can trigger a cascade of consequences. Improving one's lie, even inadvertently, is a breach of golf's rules, and officials are obligated to apply the relevant penalties. However, on extremely dry and challenging courses like Royal Birkdale this year, the line between accidental improvement and natural turf movement can be exceedingly fine.

DeChambeau's reaction, including his public statements and threat to withdraw, added to the drama. While many players and pundits supported the R&A's decision, citing the need for strict adherence to the rules, others expressed sympathy for the player caught in such a predicament. This sparked a broad discussion about the application of rules in situations where they might seem overly strict or fail to account for course conditions. The impact on the tournament schedule, though temporary, was tangible. The delay in releasing third-round tee times forced players to adjust their plans, potentially affecting their preparation and mental state. For players outside the leading groups, who often rely on more predictable schedules, this could have been an added source of stress.

Marco Penge, finding himself in the midst of this disruption, expressed his frustration while maintaining his professionalism. His comments reflect a common sentiment among players who face such inconveniences but strive to focus on the game itself. His third-round performance suggests an ability to compartmentalize external factors. Ultimately, the DeChambeau incident and its aftermath at The Open Championship serve as a reminder that golf, despite its reputation as a gentleman's game, remains a sport governed by strict rules. And while these rules may occasionally seem contentious or inconvenient, their consistent application is fundamental to fair play. Organizers will likely aim to minimize such logistical disruptions in the future, but for now, players must remain prepared for whatever unexpected challenges the game and its officiating may present.