Golf fans reignite Wyndham Clark U.S. Open controversy after Bryson DeChambeau penalty

Brandel Chamblee insists there is a crucial difference between Wyndham Clark's controversial moment in the rough at the U.S. Open last month and Bryson DeChambeau's costly rules breach at The Open on Friday — but that hasn't stopped golf fans from questioning why the two incidents produced different outcomes.

DeChambeau was hit with a two-shot penalty by The R&A more than an hour after his second round at Royal Birkdale when officials ruled he had inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing while playing from thick rough on the par-4 5th.

Officials took DeChambeau to the scene on the 5th to get him to explain his side of the story, but ultimately after more than an hour of discussion, it was deemed the LIV Golf superstar had violated Rule 8.1. 

The ruling turned his second-round 66 into a 68, dropping him from 7-under par to 5-under par and leaving him three shots behind 36-hole leader Lucas Herbert heading into round three. 

The decision sparked an immediate backlash from DeChambeau, who confronted rules officials after his round before later posting on social media that, while he strongly disagreed with the ruling, he would channel his frustration into the weekend's challenge.

Although DeChambeau has found little sympathy from several leading television analysts, the debate has quickly spread online, where many fans have pointed to a similar moment involving Clark during his U.S. Open victory at Shinnecock Hills last month. 

A clip that resurfaced following DeChambeau's penalty shows Clark moving around his ball in deep rough and taking a number of practice swings from varying positions before eventually hitting a chip shot during the final round of the U.S. Open. 

Some viewers believe the footage suggests Clark may have improved his lie, while others argue the available camera angles are far from conclusive.

We'll let you judge for yourself here:

Had Clark been assessed the same two-shot penalty as DeChambeau, the result of the 2026 U.S Open would have changed dramatically. 

Clark won the U.S. Open by a single stroke over Sam Burns, meaning a two-shot penalty would have handed his Ryder Cup teammate the title.

Speaking on Golf Channel, Chamblee acknowledged the Clark incident had generated plenty of discussion during the U.S. Open — and again this weekend — but stressed he does not believe the two situations are comparable. 

"If there is any way out, they will give the player the benefit of the doubt," Chamblee said.

"We saw something, if you remember, at the U.S. Open with Wyndham Clark on the 9th hole. There is no way the USGA did not know about it, did not see it and did not talk about it.

"But it was nowhere near as definitive as the evidence against Bryson on the 5th hole. It was a non-issue."

Chamblee also argued that golf's governing bodies will always favour the player when video evidence leaves room for doubt, but he felt DeChambeau's actions crossed that threshold.

"It had some run on social media, but it did not get addressed by the USGA," he added. 

"You see it all the time, but this was such a clear violation."

Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley also backed The R&A's decision of a two-shot penalty, saying DeChambeau repeatedly pressed down the grass behind his ball before playing the shot. 

Three-time Open champion Sir Nick Faldo echoed that view on Sky Sports, describing the ruling as a straightforward application of the Rules of Golf.

The R&A ruled that DeChambeau had inadvertently improved the conditions affecting his stroke, resulting in the automatic two-shot penalty.

Despite those opinions, many fans remain unconvinced.

Social media has been flooded with comparisons between the Clark footage and DeChambeau's penalty, with many questioning why one incident resulted in no further action while the other carried such significant consequences.

Others, however, have sided with Chamblee, arguing the Clark footage simply did not provide the same level of certainty that existed in DeChambeau's case.

Whether the two incidents deserve to be viewed in the same light will continue to divide opinion, but one fact has fuelled the debate more than any other.

If Clark had received the same two-shot penalty as DeChambeau, he would not have lifted the U.S. Open trophy for a second time last month.

Instead, Burns would have been crowned major champion for the first time. 

Whether a two-shot penalty costs DeChambeau a first Claret Jug in Southport on Sunday remains to be seen.