Revealed: Stroppy Bryson DeChambeau 'asked for Donald Trump to intervene' during his meltdown at The Open

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 07:19 EDT, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 08:24 EDT, 20 July 2026 Bryson DeChambeau threatened to call Donald Trump during the extraordinary rules row that broke out during The Open, it has emerged.In a remarkable new twist to the episode, which saw the American docked two strokes in wild scenes on Friday, well-placed sources 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 defender Folarin Balgoun, the White House did not get involved and the penalty was not overturned.The detail that DeChambeau took the desperate step of playing the Trump card was first revealed by respected American course architect and author Geoff Shackelford late on Sunday, after Ryan Fox had won golf’s oldest major. While Fox’s win was a fine end to the tournament, the DeChambeau drama remained the dominant theme of the week. Bryson DeChambeau reportedly tried to get US President Donald Trump involved in the dispute that saw him hit with a two-shot penalty at The Open DeChambeau was hit with the penalty on the second day after 'inadvertently improving his lie'DeChambeau was subsequently embroiled in a dramatic argument with officials at The OpenAfter appearing to trample the grass behind his ball in the second round, the 32-year-old was hit with a two-shot penalty by officials and demanded to be returned to the site of the incident, where he angrily protested his innocence. During his remonstrations, he threatened to withdraw and it was in the midst of this 30-minute strop that the LIV rebel raised the possibility of calling Trump, a close friend.In losing the argument, DeChambeau toppled from one shot off the 36-hole lead to three back, before sliding further down the leaderboard on Sunday.While Scottie Scheffler insisted DeChambeau was not a ‘cheat’, Rory McIlroy was scathing of his rival’s antics. Speaking on Saturday, the world No 2 said: ‘I was up in the players’ lounge watching it with a few other players and as soon as he made the step into the ball, we all sort of looked at each other and we were like, “That didn’t seem right”. Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, it was pretty obvious for why.’McIlroy added: ‘I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it is for attention. To hold the tournament hostage like that and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.’Such an incident would usually be laughed off, yet given Trump's interventions at the FIFA World Cup, it could have been a hugely contentious issue. DeChambeau's plea comes after Trump intervened to have a red card awarded to a USMNT striker suspended, allowing him to compete at the World CupThis came when the USA suffered a blow in their last-32 World Cup win over Bosnia & Herzegovina when star striker Folarin Balogun was sent off, meaning he was set to be banned from their last-16 clash against Belgium.However, Balgoun's ban was suspended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a close confidante of Trump, after the US President personally called him and urged the football supremo to allow the striker to play. Despite Trump's interventions, the US were thrashed 4-1 by Belgium, yet the 80-year-old has repeatedly boasted about his involvement, including claiming things 'worked out much better' when speaking ahead of Sunday's final, where he was booed by many as he walked out onto the pitch.DeChambeau's request for Trump's help also takes on added significance given the pair are close and class each other as friends.Back in 2024 when DeChambeau won the US Open, he celebrated his success with the president's family, while the golfer is also a member of Trump's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. The penalty ultimately proved to be inconsequential as DeChambeau struggled on the final round to end at four under par, six shots behind eventual winner Ryan Fox.