Ryan Fox made headlines for his maiden Major victory at The Open, but it was far from the only talking point during a controversial week at Royal Birkdale.
The biggest flashpoint came after the close of play on Friday, when Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty after he was deemed to have inadvertently improved his lie at the fifth hole earlier that day.
Now, reports have emerged that DeChambeau asked to call US president and golf fan Donald Trump during his back-and-forth with rules officials before the decision on Friday evening.
DeChambeau, who has known Trump for several years, had only just finished his round when he was taken back to the long rough at the fifth to explain his actions to officials.
The LIV Golfer was seen becoming animated as he argued his case with rules officials, but it was to no avail, with The R&A confirming later that evening that he would be assessed the penalty.
At one point, the furore threatened to overshadow the tournament, and there was even a suggestion that DeChambeau may not continue playing in it due to the penalty.
However, he cleared things up later that evening, writing on social media: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”
Per golf writer Geoff Shackleford’s Substack The Quadrilateral, DeChambeau requested rules officials bring Trump into the discussion after he returned from the fifth hole to the recorder's hut late on Friday.
DeChambeau’s request to have Trump intervene was denied, but it wasn’t enough to stop the controversy rumbling along into the third round.
When DeChambeau returned to the recorder’s hut, he still hadn’t signed his scorecard, a situation that ultimately led to a delay in the publication of the third round tee times – something that didn’t go down well with some in the field, including Marco Penge.
Meanwhile, although some players defended DeChambeau, including Xander Schauffele, Max Homa and Scottie Scheffler, others weren’t so quick to give him their backing.
One was Rory McIlroy, who accused DeChambeau of holding The Open hostage. He said: “Yeah, look, I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention.”
He added: “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."
In 2024, Trump appeared on DeChambeau’s YouTube channel, while the golfer visited him at the White House in 2025.
Also in 2025, DeChambeau told Fox News that Trump is a “great ambassador for the game of golf.”
Had DeChambeau been granted permission to call Trump, it would have been the president's second intervention in a big sporting matter recently.
Earlier in the month, Trump caused controversy when he asked FIFA to review US soccer player Folarin Balogun's suspension at the World Cup.
DeChambeau will play his second consecutive event in England later in the week when he tees it up in LIV Golf UK at JCB Golf & Country Club.
