McIlroy calls DeChambeau penalty at Open 'pretty obvious' - ESPN

SOUTHPORT, England — While Max Homa defended Bryson DeChambeau and other golfers seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt following his two-stroke penalty in the second round of The Open, reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy didn't mince words when he was asked whether DeChambeau should have been penalized for improving «the area of his intended swing» in tall grass on the fifth hole.

McIlroy watched the incident in question on TV in the players' lounge with a few other golfers when DeChambeau stomped on tall fescue grass around his ball before taking his second shot on the fifth at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

«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,'» McIlroy said Saturday, after his round of 1-under 69 left him at 2 over after 54 holes. «Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, I think it was pretty obvious for why.»

TV replays showed DeChambeau approaching his tee shot in the native area and taking several high steps. It appeared that the tall fescue grass behind his ball lay down as a result.

The R&A's executive director of governance, Grant Moir, said in a statement Friday that the rule «applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson's case.»

DeChambeau wasn't told of the penalty until after he finished what he believed was a round of 4-under 66, which would have put him one stroke behind 36-hole leader Lucas Herbert.

After his round, DeChambeau and R&A officials returned to the native area right of the fifth fairway, where the two-time U.S. Open winner reenacted his swing and passionately argued his case.

DeChambeau returned to the scoring area, and his score on the fifth hole was changed