Bryson DeChambeau wanted President Donald Trump to intervene in his rules dispute at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, according to a report by Yahoo Sports. American journalist Geoff Shackelford claimed DeChambeau asked to speak with Trump during lengthy discussions with the R&A over a two-shot penalty handed to him late Friday night.
Officials reviewed footage and determined DeChambeau had improved the area of his backswing by flattening down long grass on the fifth hole. The penalty dropped him from second place, two shots off the lead.
DeChambeau is a friend of Trump and serves on the President's council on sports, fitness and nutrition. His last White House appearance was in May. The context for the reported request comes from a World Cup incident in which Trump asked FIFA to review a red card shown to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. FIFA suspended the resulting one-match ban. Shackelford claimed DeChambeau wanted similar treatment, but the request was denied.
On Saturday, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon addressed the situation directly when asked by BBC Sport whether Trump had contacted him. "No, I have not received a call from President Trump," Darbon said. "Irrespective of which player this affected, it is the same decision – from a rules perspective it was clear cut."
After his Saturday round, DeChambeau visited Darbon in the championship office. He requested possession of his scorecard from the previous day, and that request was also declined. The R&A declined to comment on either matter.
DeChambeau finished the tournament in 14th place, six shots behind champion Ryan Fox. He refused to speak with waiting media for the eighth consecutive major round.
He did post on Instagram after the tournament ended. "A lot of ups and downs this week, to say the least. But I'm proud of the way I fought through it," he wrote. "Thank you to all my supporters for carrying me through. Onwards and upwards from here. Congratulations to @ryanfoxgolfer on an incredible win!"
The R&A has made no further public statement on the penalty, the scorecard request, or the reported attempt to involve the White House.
