One of the biggest names in professional golf reportedly wanted President Donald Trump to step into a heated rules controversy during the Open Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau found himself at the center of a growing dispute after tournament officials handed him a costly two-stroke penalty during Friday’s second round. The ruling quickly sparked debate among golf fans and reportedly left the LIV Golf star extremely frustrated.
Officials determined that DeChambeau had unintentionally improved the position of his golf ball on the fifth hole, resulting in the penalty under the Rules of Golf.
According to reports, DeChambeau strongly objected to the decision and even considered withdrawing from the tournament before returning for the next round.
The controversy took another unexpected turn when The Telegraph, citing golf journalist and course architect Geoff Shackelford’s Quadrilateral Substack, reported that DeChambeau wanted President Trump involved in challenging the ruling.
The report claims DeChambeau spent roughly 30 minutes meeting with officials from the R&A, golf’s governing body that oversees The Open Championship. During those discussions, he reportedly appealed the penalty and suggested bringing Trump into the dispute.
Tournament officials declined the request and upheld the ruling.
When reporters later asked R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon whether President Trump had contacted the organization, his answer was straightforward.
“No,” Darbon said. “I have not received a call from President Trump, and we’ll see what happens from here.”
Trump is no stranger to the golf world. Beyond owning several championship courses, including Scotland’s Turnberry, he has long advocated for bringing The Open Championship back to the historic venue.
The reported request also comes shortly after another high-profile sports controversy involving the president.
Earlier this month, U.S. forward Folarin Balogun was shown a red card during a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, automatically ruling him out of the following game. FIFA later overturned the suspension, clearing him to return to the lineup.
President Trump later said he personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked that the incident be reviewed before the governing body changed its decision.
There is no indication that Trump played any role in DeChambeau’s situation, and R&A officials confirmed they never received a call from the president regarding the penalty.
Still, the report has fueled fresh discussion about Trump’s growing visibility in major sporting events, from international soccer to professional golf.
For DeChambeau, however, the outcome never changed. Tournament officials stood by their decision, leaving the two-stroke penalty in place despite his reported efforts to have it reconsidered.