The Birkdale Blunder: Why Bryson's 2-Stroke Penalty Exposes Golf's Antiquated Rules
The Incident: A Swing, A Stomp, and A Post-Round Shocker
One week removed from one the worst rulings I've ever scene in golf and there's been a lot of them. Let’s get right down to it. Last Friday at the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Bryson DeChambeau was hit with a crushing two-stroke penalty following his second round. The infraction? Supposedly improving his lie (Rule 8.1) by stepping on and flattening some tall fescue behind his ball on the par-4 5th hole.
As a golf coach who spends every day analyzing swing mechanics, address positions, and course management, I have to call it like I see it. This ruling was unfortunate, overly restrictive, and frankly, just ridiculous.
No Advantage Gained: The Photographic Proof
If you look at the photos and video replays of Bryson’s stance and the club path he was forced to take, it’s abundantly clear: there was zero actual advantage gained.
- The Lie: The ball was buried deep in thick, penalizing rough. Stepping near the grass to establish his stance didn't suddenly create a pristine fairway lie or alter his angle of attack in any meaningful way.
- The Physics: Even with the grass slightly compressed by his shoe, the resistance on the clubhead during the downswing remained massive.
In premium golf instruction, we teach players to build a stable, athletic stance. Bryson was simply trying to get his footing in an unplayable jungle, not intentionally clear a runway for his clubface. Penalizing a player two strokes when the evidence shows no competitive edge was achieved is a disservice to the spirit of the game.
Where Were the Officials?
Here is the most frustrating part of this entire ordeal. The R&A officials were right there. They were watching him navigate the situation and set up his golf swing the entire time. Yet, nobody said a word.
Instead of intervening in real-time to warn him or assess the situation before he struck the ball, they let him finish the hole, finish the round, and then dropped the hammer on him during extensive discussions after the fact.
- Pro Tip for the R&A: If an official is standing right there and sees a potential rules breach, step in! Waiting hours to review video footage and slapping a player with a penalty after they’ve walked off the 18th green disrupts the integrity of the tournament and completely derails a player's mental game.
The Bigger Picture: Antiquated Rules Stifling the Game
Golf is a beautiful game, but incidents like this highlight how the rulebook has become out of touch with modern play.
- Micro-Management: We are dissecting blades of grass on a microscopic level. It overcomplicates what should be a straightforward test of ball striking and strategy.
- Pace of Play: Video reviews and post-round adjudications slow down the sport and confuse the fans trying to follow the leaderboard.
- Lack of Common Sense: Rules should punish cheating or distinct competitive advantages, not incidental foot placement in deep rough while a player is simply trying to hit the golf ball.
If we want to grow the game and encourage new players to take up golf lessons and improve their skills, we need a rulebook that is intuitive, fair, and rooted in common sense—not a trap waiting to be sprung in the scoring tent.
Bryson kept fighting and made the cut, but that penalty fundamentally changed his weekend and cost him a real shot at the Claret Jug. It’s time for the governing bodies to modernize these antiquated standards. Keep grinding, focus on your golf drills, and let's hope the rule-makers finally decide to take a lesson of their own.
This is Golf as You've Always Imagined!
Daniel is a Top 100 Golf Coach, The #1 Golf Instructor in PA, a PXG Staff Pro, a World Long Drive Coach and the Head of Golf Instruction at IMAGEN Golf the area's leading golf instruction and advisory firm, host of the IMAGEN Golf podcast and Best-Selling Author of "Unleash The Golfer Within".
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