During the second round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Bryson DeChambeau was issued a two-stroke penalty after officials determined he had tamped down grass adjacent to his ball on the fifth hole, which they deemed an improvement to his lie. The ruling followed extended discussions between DeChambeau and tournament officials that delayed the release of Saturday's tee times, drawing criticism from fellow competitor Rory McIlroy, who accused the American of holding the tournament 'hostage' and causing inconvenience to other players and volunteers.

McIlroy suggested DeChambeau's response to the penalty was more theatrical than sporting, saying he believed the golfer prioritised attention over accepting the officials' decision. McIlroy noted that whilst the intentionality behind the grass-trampling remained unclear, the visual evidence plainly justified the two-stroke sanction. The R&A's chief executive characterised the ruling as straightforward from a rules standpoint, declining to elaborate on the nature of the discussions with DeChambeau. DeChambeau later stated the penalty would energise rather than discourage his bid for the tournament.