World number one Scottie Scheffler has defended Bryson DeChambeau, insisting he is "definitely not a cheater" after DeChambeau's two-shot penalty overshadowed the closing stages of The Open at Royal Birkdale. The penalty, imposed after his second round for inadvertently improving his swing path by trampling down rough behind his ball, effectively ended DeChambeau's hopes of winning the Claret Jug and sparked debate among players and officials over the incident's fairness.

DeChambeau, 32, had carded a second-round 66 that briefly put him a shot off the lead, but the penalty on the fifth hole, followed by weekend rounds of 69 and 72, left him six shots behind eventual champion Ryan Fox. The R&A's Mark Darbon called it a "clear-cut" rules decision, while Rory McIlroy said there was "no doubt" DeChambeau had improved his line and accused him of holding the tournament "hostage". Scheffler, who was playing alongside DeChambeau when the incident occurred, said he had never witnessed suspicious behaviour from him and called for stricter policing of the rules, while DeChambeau himself declined to comment throughout the week.