The Open Championship 2026: Crowning the champion golfer of the year

[playthrough]

I like the Live From panel a lot but having DeChambeau in this situation, you have to take them with a grain of salt. Of course they're entitled to their opinions, but with Bryson they're going to be tinged with the spiciness they've had for the guy and his league for years.

Having watched the video, I think it's a tough call to make.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I figured this might be one of the lowest-scoring Open Championships ever. Thanks largely to the continental Heat Dome and a shot of El Niño.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

The Bryson penalty story has certainly spiced up the coverage and given the analysts a tasty feast to chew on.

That’s on top of a competitive shootout in a major with a whole bunch of guys in contention.

 

[UPChip]

I agree. Asking for an explanation is simple self-protection. If you do what the official says, it's no longer your fault if for some reason said official gets overruled. Also, there are situations 30-handicappers and the rest of non-competing amateurs face where strict rules would be a farce. Case in point: My Cape Cod local is on an Atlantic flyway a mile from a national wildlife refuge. Every spring and every fall, it is assaulted by Canada geese. Animal control, in the form of the greenskeeper's two golden retrievers, is only sporadically effective. Therefore, it is a local rule that a free drop from goose ****, be it where the ball is, the swing, or the stance, to the nearest point of non-goose **** relief, is permitted. Only violates the first rule of golf, play it where it lies. But it's a good rule.

On Monday during my weekly game across the border in Superior, one of the guys we got stuck on to after the course backed up pointed out a Jurassic Park-sized pile of bear **** in the 7th fairway.

 

[qtlaw]

During our weekly skins game, if there’s any question, just ask your partners what they think. Bryson could’ve asked one of the other players “can I do this?”

 

[HanSenSE]

Are there not officials with each group who can make a ruling in real time, instead of going to the video ex post facto?

 

[Scout]

It's one of those rules where intent doesn't come into play. If you improve your conditions affecting the stroke, even unintentionally, you get dinged.

I also assume by "called in" it was called in by the Rules official in a truck on site that is tasked with keeping an eye on the entire course. They legislated "Seamus calling in, six pints of Guinness deep from the pub" from the latest Rules iteration. The Lexi Thompson addendum, basically.

Actually, about 40 years ago someone lost a tournament from someone watching TV at home who somehow got what they saw to the tournament and the rule was applied.

I want to say it was using the handle of the putter instead of the club face or back of club to tap the ball in.

To me, it’s one of the amazing things about golf.

 

[MileHigh]

And a third 62. Ryan Fox, who is tied for the lead with the other leaders still 80 minutes from teeing off.

 

[MileHigh]

Are there not officials with each group who can make a ruling in real time, instead of going to the video ex post facto?

There are, but it might not have been noticed right away or the official had to handle something with the other two players in the group.

 

[rtse11]

Brad Faxon: "Nobody craves attention more than Bryson DeChambeau."
Pretty remarkable comment, considering how much the networks are loathe to say anything remotely critical.
And a few minutes later, "He was out there, stomping around like he was at Jurassic Park."

 

[Cosmo]

Actually, about 40 years ago someone lost a tournament from someone watching TV at home who somehow got what they saw to the tournament and the rule was applied.

I want to say it was using the handle of the putter instead of the club face or back of club to tap the ball in.

To me, it’s one of the amazing things about golf.

Right, which is why they changed the rule after Lexi Thompson was dinged two strokes for playing from a wrong place because she put her ball down like four inches from her original ball mark and someone called it in from home. I think she got another two strokes for signing an incorrect scorecard.

I have no issue with a command center on site watching the entire golf course and finding rules issues that way. Rules officials can't be everywhere. But a call-in from home? No way. Can I call in a pass interference that was missed in an NFL game? Of course not. It was a common sense change from the USGA and R&A.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

If you have nothing better to do than watch golf at home and call in rules violations (I don’t even know what number you’d dial) you’re a loser who needs to get a life.

 

[I Should Coco]

I’m not only enjoying the great golf (c’mon, Tommy!), but also the fact that the fairways at Royal Berkdale are the same color as my lawn!

“Not dead, just dormant.”

 

[TigerVols]

Brad Faxon: "Nobody craves attention more than Bryson DeChambeau."
Pretty remarkable comment, considering how much the networks are loathe to say anything remotely critical.
And a few minutes later, "He was out there, stomping around like he was at Jurassic Park."

I heard both comments and Fax needs to sit up front with Tirico on the G-5 flight home for saying that.

 

[TigerVols]

They keep talking about most blah blah below 70 in Open history. But aren’t most Opens par 72?

 

[rtse11]

If you have nothing better to do than watch golf at home and call in rules violations (I don’t even know what number you’d dial) you’re a loser who needs to get a life.

Those are the same guys nobody wants to play with because they're calling everybody out and making us putt everything out

 

[Pickleballgolds]

Right, which is why they changed the rule after Lexi Thompson was dinged two strokes for playing from a wrong place because she put her ball down like four inches from her original ball mark and someone called it in from home. I think she got another two strokes for signing an incorrect scorecard.

I have no issue with a command center on site watching the entire golf course and finding rules issues that way. Rules officials can't be everywhere. But a call-in from home? No way. Can I call in a pass interference that was missed in an NFL game? Of course not. It was a common sense change from the USGA and R&A.

There are multiple officials capable of being in place to call pass interference. Golfers often are a mile from the nearest TV camera, spectator or rules official.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Right, which is why they changed the rule after Lexi Thompson was dinged two strokes for playing from a wrong place because she put her ball down like four inches from her original ball mark and someone called it in from home. I think she got another two strokes for signing an incorrect scorecard.

I have no issue with a command center on site watching the entire golf course and finding rules issues that way. Rules officials can't be everywhere. But a call-in from home? No way. Can I call in a pass interference that was missed in an NFL game? Of course not. It was a common sense change from the USGA and R&A.

And IIRC whoever made the call was watching a replay. Lexi didn’t know about it until she walked in the clubhouse the next day

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Those are the same guys nobody wants to play with because they're calling everybody out and making us putt everything out

And despite them being “rules are rules” type mother****ers I’ll bet I know who most of them voted for.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Speaking of, MAGA ball bag Sam Burns now at -9.