Bryson DeChambeau makes animated case with officials at Open Championship
Bryson DeChambeau discusses the matter of trampled grass for an improved lie on the fifth hole at Royal Birkdale with R&A rules officials.
Video Transcript
Charlie, it's my understanding that when you're trying to step into a lie under a tree, in the weeds, in the long grass, you're trying to do so with the least amount of disturbance possible.
Is that correct?
It is.
We just don't want people who have to take care around the ball, but at any- anywhere, and, yeah, it's about whether or not his actions were improving his lie, and, obviously there's some animated discussions going on here.
In I mean, in the end, Charlie, it does come down to whether or not the, the grass, and I loose t- use that term loosely 'cause that's more than just grass, but is trampled down behind and it improved the lie, correct?
Exactly.
I mean- It's, it's either it has improved the lie or it hasn't- Right improved the lie.
Yeah.
A- and also the, the intended w- line of swing.
Yes, exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I think what My guess is what Bryson's saying is that it was well behind the ball, that the club is getting picked up very vertically.
He had that ball well back in his stance.
We talked about it live.
He's probably saying he picked the club up vertically, and the grass that was to push over, 'cause you could see it, was not in his swing, is probably what they're discussing.
Charlie, do you know if Bryson has seen the video yet?
I, I think he will have seen the video, 'cause that would be the normal course of action- Okay when Grant would go into the recording.
He would go in with some, some evidence for the discussion.
Okay.
Jim, there's only so much to say out there.
Well, there is, but it's a big deal.
I mean, we got a- Oh, there's no question about that this gentleman is minus seven, one shot off the lead, two-shot penalty.
So you're correct.
And, the, the- There is only so much you can say, but- The- I, I still would like the matter, it, it needs to take as long as it needs to take, and it needs to we need to get it right.
Agreed.
But the lie was either improved or not.
Yes, sir.
Does not look like it's coming to a close anytime soon.
So this continues out at the fifth.
So upper left is when Bryson first arrived at that location.
I mean, it's Right now we can't really tell where the golf ball is.
You get an idea as he takes his- Or- pseudo stance Worth taking a stab at?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's just hard to get the correct depth perception.
Yeah.
And similar lower right right now.
Even more animated though, obviously.
Yeah, it's very apparent that- Doesn't seem to be going his way as of now it does not seem to be going his way.
No.
I was gonna use the exact same words.
Just to remind you, he's in the clubhouse at seven under and one shot off the lead in the final group tomorrow.
That would change by two shots.
What do you got?
Don't know if that's an image or video being shown.
So that's 70.
The front bunker or that bunker in line isn't too bad.
I mean, obviously it gives him some- It's all very still, but it was a video distance.
Yeah.
Okay.
You good?
Yeah.
Just trying to watch that upper left and see.
I mean, there obviously there is There are areas that are being trampled down and improved, just the question is whether it's at the lie.
And we have Sorry, but we have no idea how long this conversation is going to go.
But it is a critical one.
Charlie, I just wanna clarify.
I think I know the answer to this, but we are talking two shots.
We are, we are talking that, that is how many he could be penalized for, two shots.
Whoop, don't, don't hear it.
Two, two shots.
Absolutely correct.
Okay.
It's okay.
Two shots is the maximum penalty he'll receive.
Okay.
As a player, you remember a conversation taking this long to do this?
Or, or a situation that's- I've actually been involved with a situation similar to this.
It happened at the Players Championship a long, long time ago where we went in after the round.
It looked like I kind of double hit a little chip and run with a wedge from behind the 17th green at TPC at Sawgrass.
Before it was okay to do.
Exactly.
It looked like a double hit.
Again, taken to the video, talked about it.
The video actually revealed that I did not, that you could see the exact spin of the ball.
It did take quite a while.
I mean, it took 15 or 20 minutes to kind of roll her on tape and, and get it really clear that, that it, you know, I didn't feel it.
You know, obviously couldn't see it, but I would feel it, if anything.
And, so let's go look at the tape, and eventually we got to an angle where we could really see it clearly, and- And, and yours was limited to the video because that's- Yeah a double hit.
It's a different situation.
And here you've got a gray area because the video doesn't quite exactly show what we're looking for.
Need to stop filming.
Need to honestly- So the conversation, at least in that specific area, is over.
And this is not a man who looks pleased.
But we will wait for the final official word.
And the final signing of the scorecard, and what number that reflects.
So right now you've got three players at six under par, right behind Bryson DeChambeau.
As it stands right now, he's at seven under, one shot out of the lead in the final pairing.
Would that I- if that takes him out, how much of a difference does that make, you think?
You know, I, I mean, he's still Again, it's a big blow.
I think more of it mentally, you know, psyche- Mindset-wise as a player, yeah mindset-wise, but he's got some time.
It's not like he's in the middle of a round, he's got to go hit a shot.
He's got some time to cool down, you know, and he's got to do that.
You know, kind of get his mind right, get reset, use it as motivation.
Instead of turning it to go south the next two days, use it for motivation.
Use it for You know, I, I, I think we got a little bit of that earlier this week from, from the Nick Faldo comments.
I think it, it really upset him.
You heard him in his, in his interview use the word strategy three times.
I think he used it as motivation.
He's played very well this week.
He is seemingly clicking on all cylinders.
You got to reset, you got to get ready, and you got to get your mind right to play well this weekend.
Take a look and see if we can check out what he's saying here.
I, I don't, I mean, "I'm not gonna play tomorrow" is what I think I, I saw him say, either reading his lips at least.
Don't know for sure, obviously it's back in-
