Revealed: Stroppy Bryson DeChambeau ‘asked for Donald Trump to intervene’ during his meltdown at The Open
It has been revealed that Bryson DeChambeau threatened to call Donald Trump during the extraordinary rules debate at The Open.
In a notable new twist to the episode, where the American hit two shots in wild scenes on Friday, well-placed sources have confirmed to Daily Mail Sport that the double US Open champion sought a presidential intervention at the height of the drama.
However, unlike the World Cup controversy involving USMNT forward Folarin Balogun, the White House was not involved and the suspension was not overturned.
The detail that DeChambeau had taken the desperate step of playing the Trump card was first revealed by respected American course architect and author Geoff Shackelford late Sunday, after Ryan Fox won golf’s oldest major. While Fox’s win was a nice end to the tournament, the DeChambeau drama remained the dominant theme of the week.
Bryson DeChambeau reportedly tried to involve US President Donald Trump in the dispute at The Open, where he was hit with a two-shot penalty
DeChambeau sentenced to penalty on day two after ‘accidentally improving his lie’
The American later got into a dramatic altercation with officials at The Open.
The 32-year-old, who appeared to crush the grass behind his ball in the second round, was hit with a two-shot penalty by officials and angrily protested his innocence, demanding to be returned to the scene. He threatened to withdraw during his protests, and the LIV rebel raised the possibility of calling his close friend Trump in the middle of that 30-minute conversation.
DeChambeau, who lost the debate, fell to within three shots of the 36-hole lead before sliding further down the leaderboard on Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler insisted DeChambeau was not a ‘cheat’, while Rory McIlroy slammed his rival’s antics. Speaking on Saturday, the world No.2 said: ‘I was watching the game in the players’ lounge with a few of the players and as soon as he stepped on the ball we all looked at each other and said, ‘That didn’t look right.’ When I heard he was called out later by the rules officials it was pretty clear why.’
McIlroy added: ‘I think a lot of it comes down to performance. I think most of it is for attention. Holding the tournament hostage like that and having all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting for him to leave doesn’t look good to me.’
Such an incident would generally be viewed as laughable, but given Trump’s interventions at the FIFA World Cup, it could be a highly controversial issue.
This came as the USA’s last-32 World Cup win against Bosnia and Herzegovina was dealt a blow when star forward Folarin Balogun was sent off, meaning he would be banned from their last-16 match against Belgium.
However, Balgoun’s ban was suspended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a close confidant of Trump, after the US President personally called him and pressured football brass to allow the striker to play.
Despite Trump’s interventions, the USA were beaten 4-1 by Belgium, but the 80-year-old repeatedly boasted about his involvement, including claiming things were ‘going a lot better’ when speaking ahead of Sunday’s final, in which he was booed by many as he walked onto the field.
DeChambeau’s plea came after Trump intervened to rescind the red card that allowed US forward Folarin Balogun to play in the last 16 match against Belgium.
DeChambeau’s request for help from Trump takes on even more significance given that the two are close and classify each other as friends.
While DeChambeau celebrated his success with the President’s family when he won the US Open in 2024, the golfer is also a member of Trump’s Sports, Fitness and Nutrition Council.
The penalty ultimately proved to be inconsequential, as DeChambeau struggled into the final round to finish four under par, six strokes behind winner Ryan Fox.
DeChambeau’s attempts to implicate Trump come after legendary golfer Tiger Woods was captured on body camera footage telling police officers that he had spoken to the US President on the phone following his car crash in March.
Woods, who was with Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of the president’s eldest child, Donald Trump Jr., was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, but he pleaded not guilty.
However, in the footage, Woods was heard saying the following when he approached the police officer at the scene of the accident: ‘Thank you very much. Certainly. You got it. Goodbye. ‘I was just talking to the President.’
Trump has previously described Woods as a “very close friend” and a “great man.”
