Why Bryson DeChambeau was handed a two-shot penalty at The Open
Bryson DeChambeau was assessed a two-shot penalty at The Open. Here’s what happened and why the ruling was made.
The Open
We’re headed for home at the 154th Open Championship with any number of golfers in position to claim the Claret Jug.
Sam Burns took a two-shot lead into the final round at Royal Birkdale at 10 under, with Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim two strokes back at 8 under.
However, Cameron Young set the pace early with a blistering 29 on the front nine and a stellar round of 6-under-par 64 to claim the clubhouse lead at 9 under as Burns struggled on his front nine.
At one point during the final round, four different players had a share of the lead. And defending champion Scottie Scheffler wasn’t going away quietly.
In addition, Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up a few miles from Royal Birkdale, is trying to win the British Open in his own backyard.
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Round 3 leaderboard
- T1. Cameron Young: -9 (F)
- T1. Ryan Fox: -9 (16)
- 3. Sam Burns: -8 (16)
- T4. Scottie Scheffler: -7 (F)
- T4. Tommy Fleetwood: -7 (F)
- T4. Si Woo Kim: -7 (16)
Watch Round 3 of the Open Championship on Peacock
Ryan Fox is back in a tie for the lead. Fox lined himself up perfectly for a birdie putt after he drove his second shot to within 10 feet of the pin. He knocked down the birdie and moved back to 9 under.
Si Woo Kim is gonna have to pick up to shots on the final two holes if he’s going to at least earn a playoff with leader Cameron Young. Kim bogeyed No. 16 after he left his second shot in rough facing a bunker. He went up and over on 3 and his putt for par missed. He drops to 7 under par for the tournament.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox saw his share of the lead last for only one hole, as he just missed clearing a greenside bunker on his tee shot at the par-3 15th.
Just a foot or so longer and it wouldn’t have caromed into the sand. Fox had an impossible lie and was forced to blast backwards and try to salvage a bogey.
Ryan Fox posted consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes to join Cameron Young at the top of the leaderboard.
- T1. Cameron Young: -9 (F)
- T1. Ryan Fox: -9 (14)
- T3. Si Woo Kim: -8 (15)
- T3. Sam Burns: -8 (13)
- T5. Scottie Scheffler: -7 (F)
- T5. Lucas Herbert: -7 (15)
As the conditions get a little more difficult with the afternoon sun beating down on Royal Birkdale, American Cameron Young can relax for at least a little bit while sitting alone on top of the leaderboard.
He began the day seven shots off the lead, but his 6-under 64 has him at 9 under for the tournament, with everyone else trying to catch him.
Who will make a late charge? Will the 154th Open Championship go to a playoff? We’ll find out in the next 90 minutes.
Needing a birdie to tie Cameron Young for the lead, Scottie Scheffler couldn’t find the fairway off the tee on No. 18 and his putt from off the green slid past the hole, officially ending his bid to repeat as Champion Golfer of the Year.
Scheffler missed the comebacker to finish with a round of 67. He’s at 7 under for the tournament, two strokes back.
With a pair of birdies on 16 and 17, Scottie Scheffler now finds himself just one shot out of the lead as he heads to the home hole.
We could be witnessing an epic comeback if he can manage another birdie to tie clubhouse leader Cameron Young.
Si Woo Kim hit a pair of wayward shots on the par-4 11th hole and couldn’t make his long par-saving putt.
After tapping in for bogey, Kim is now tied with Cameron Young at 9 under.
As the final group heads to the back nine, Sam Burns and Ryan Fox trail leader Si Woo Kim by two strokes, with Cameron Young already in the clubhouse at 9 under.
- 1. Si Woo Kim: -10 (10)
- 2 Cameron Young: -9 (F)
- T3. Ryan Fox: -8 (9)
- T3. Sam Burns: -8 (9)
- T3. Lucas Herbert: -8 (10)
- T6. Scottie Scheffler: -7 (16)
- T6. Casey Jarvis: -6 (F)
- T6. Ryan Gerard: -6 (8)
Despite rolling in a birdie putt on the par-4 16th hole, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is facing an uphill battle in his bid to retain the Claret Jug.
He’ll certainly look back on a number of missed opportunities on the greens if he falls short.
He’s tied for sixth at 7 under, three shots behind leader Si Woo Kim.
After a sizzling 29 on the front nine, Cameron Young briefly tied for the tournament lead before recording his only bogey of the round on the 18th hole and “settling” for a 6-under 64.
Young found a fairway bunker off the tee and had his second shot deflect off the side of the trap and into the rough. He found a greenside bunker on his third shot, but blasted out to tap-in range to salvage bogey.
With scoring conditions nearly perfect, Young had a total of seven birdies on his card to jump 18 spots on the leaderboard. He holds the clubhouse lead at 9 under, one stroke behind Si Woo Kim.
Seemingly from out of nowhere, South African golfer Casey Jarvis has appeared on the leaderboard. Jarvis entered Sunday at 3-under par, and went on to notch 15 pars and three birdies during his final round to get to 6 under. That puts him in a five-way tie for sixth place, four shots off the lead.
Looking to become the first man from Asia to win a British Open, South Korea’s Si Woo Kim birdied the par-4 sixth hole to break out of a four-way logjam at the top.
Kim moves to 10 under, one stroke ahead of Cameron Young and Ryan Fox.
Sam Burns bogeyed his third consecutive hole to fall back to minus 8.
We officially have a Battle Royal Birkdale … Third-round leader Sam Burns recorded his second bogey of the day on the par-4 fifth hole to drop back to 9 under for the tournament.
That drops him into a tie for the lead with playing competitor Ryan Fox, as well as with Si Woo Kim and the red-hot Cameron Young.
Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood are now just one stroke back.
After missing several short birdie putts all weekend, Scottie Scheffler finally had one drop on the par-4 eighth hole.
He gave a fist pump as the ball rolled in the hole to get him to 8 under, two strokes off the pace after leader Sam Burns bogeyed the fourth.
After watching several of their closest pursuers knock in early birdies, the final pairing in the field got in on the act on hole No. 2.
On one of the easiest holes at Royal Birkdale this week, leader Sam Burns and playing companion Ryan Fox hit approach shots on the par 4 second to within six feet. They both rolled in those short putts for birdie, moving Burns to 11 under for the tournament and Fox to sole possession of second place at 9 under.
There could be some magic happening at Royal Birkdale. Hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood energized the gallery on the opening hole by rolling in a ridiculously long birdie putt to move to 6 under par for the championship.
After seeing three major championship record-tying rounds of 62 earlier in the week, Cameron Young is threatening to join the party. With five consecutive 3s to begin his final round, Young capped off a stellar front nine with his fifth birdie of the day on the 414-yard par 4.
He’s now tied for second place at 8 under par.
Young came back from a four-shot deficit to win the Players Championship earlier this season, so he’s very much in contention.
Bryson DeChambeau ripped his driver down the first fairway, and just a bit through the short grass into the first cut of rough down the right side. He begins the day at 6 under for the tournament, four shots behind Sam Burns.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has figured out a cure for the putting frustration he’s experienced over the first three rounds at Royal Birkdale: Hit his approach shots as close as possible to the pin.
He did it again on the short par-4 fifth hole. Going for the green off the tee, Scheffler ended up in a greenside bunker, but he deftly flicked the ball out of the sand to inside two feet for a tap-in birdie. That’s his third on the front side, which puts him tied for fourth place at 7 under, three shots behind Sam Burns.
NBC is reporting a rules issue with one of the earlier groups off the tee in Round 4 will push back tee times for the last few groups by 12 to 14 minutes.
The course conditions are Royal Birkdale are perfect for scoring in Round 4. WIth a forecasted high of 71 to 73 degrees and virtually no chance of rain, the weather all week has been an unusually pleasant − in contrast to the rain and wind that usually seem to be major factors in this tournament.
Already several players have gotten off to hot starts, so some low scores are definitely possible.
Defending Open champion Scottie Scheffler started his final round with a birdie to get to 5-under par for the tourney. Scheffler stuck his second shot to less than 2 feet from the pin and tapped in for the bird.
He followed that up with another dart into the second green. Another kick-in birdie and Scheffler could be primed for a Sunday surge. He’s now just four shots off the lead.
Rory McIlroy is through six holes and has pocketed four pars and two birdies after his 3 on par-4 No. 6. He sits at 4-under par overall.
Three holes, three birdies, and Cameron Young keeps moving up the leaderboard here in the early going. Playing his second shot from the rough, Young hit to within 13 feet of the pin and rolled it in for his third consecutive birdie. At 6 under for the tournament, he suddenly finds himself in a four-way tie for sixth place with Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau and Jackson Suber.
Cameron Young has jumped into the top 10 by starting his final round birdie-birdie. Young stuck his second shot on No. 2 to about 4 feet from the hole and tapped in for birdie. He’s now at 5 under for the tourney.
Norway Kristoffer Reitan has birdied his first two holes to get to 4-under par, while American Cameron Young drained a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 1 to get to the same score. Both are in a tie with nine other golfers, including Scottie Scheffler (7:45 a.m. ET tee time) and Xander Schauffele (8:30 a.m. ET tee time), for 11th place overall.
Six-time major winner Rory McIlroy came into Sunday at 2-under par for the Open, meaning he has some serious ground to make up to contend for a seventh major. Rory hasn’t won an Open since 2014.
McIlroy has started his final round with three pars and a birdie on No. 2.
Englishmen John Parry and Matthew Southgate have turned in the lowest score of the final round so far, shooting 4 under. Parry finishes the tournament at 2 under, while Southgate will leave Royal Birkdale with an even par.
British Open TV, streaming schedule for final round
The 2026 Open Championship will be broadcast nationally on NBC, USA Network or NBC Sports Network throughout the four competitive rounds of the tournament. Live streaming coverage of the 2026 Open Championship will be available via Peacock or Fubo.
All times Eastern
Sunday, July 19, Final round
British Open tee times Round 4 on Sunday
Below is a list of notable groups on Saturday. Click here for a full list of Sunday tee times.
- 4:35 a.m.: J.J. Spaun, Victor Perez
- 4:45 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Patrick Cantlay
- 5:05 a.m.: Brooks Koepka, Bud Cauley
- 5:40 a.m.: Patrick Reed, Adam Scott
- 6:20 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa
- 6:30 a.m.: Jordan Smith, Rory McIlroy
- 7:05 a.m.: Cameron Young, Robert MacIntyre
- 7:25 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Justin Thomas
- 7:35 a.m.: Max Homa, Alex Smalley
- 7:45 a.m.: Jose Luis Ballester Barrio, Scottie Scheffler
- 7:55 a.m.: Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry
- 8:15 a.m.: Hideki Matsuyama, Kazuma Kobori
- 8:25 a.m.: Eric Cole, Xander Schauffele
- 8:40 a.m.: Tommy Fleetwood, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
- 8:50 a.m.: Jackson Suber, Bryson DeChambeau
- 9 a.m.: Ludvig Åberg, Lucas Herbert
- 9:10 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Si Woo Kim
- 9:20 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Sam Burns
What time is the Open Championship today?
The British Open tees off live from Royal Birkdale Golf Club with coverage starting at 4 a.m. ET. The first tee time is set for 2:40 a.m. ET.
British Open odds: Favorites
Odds via BetMGM as of Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET.
- Sam Burns: +138
- Si Woo Kim: +500
- Ryan Fox: +800
- Bryson DeChambeau: +1400
- Ludvig Aberg: +1400
- Ryan Gerard: +1600
- Lucas Herbert: +2200
- Tommy Fleetwood: +2200
- Scottie Scheffler: +2500
2026 Open Championship predictions
Predictions made ahead of Open Championship Round 1.
Steve Gardner: Matt Fitzpatrick (+1600)
In addition to winning twice already this season on the PGA Tour, Fitzpatrick is coming in hot at the British Open. He has a trio of top-4 finishes in his last four events, including a tie for third this past week at the Scottish Open. He’ll have the backing of the home crowd at Royal Birkdale, which would be the perfect place to win his second major title. Editor’s note: Fitzpatrick shot 4-over par and missed the cut.
Jon Hoefling: Chris Gotterup (+2800)
While it’s been an up and down year for Gotterup, he’s certainly on the up right now, recording a first-place finish at the John Deere Classic and an 11th-place finish last week at the Genesis Scottish Open. He’s playing his best golf of the year and has somewhat of a track record in big moments, finishing tied for tenth at the 2026 Players Championship and third at the 2025 Open Championship a year ago. Editor’s note: Gotterup is tied for 25th at 2-under par.
Kristie Ackert: Matt Fitzpatrick (+1600)
Fitzpatrick comes in with some momentum, finishing T3 at last week’s Scottish Open where he led the entire field in strokes-gained approach. A cold putter kept him from winning. He has three wins on tour and top-five finishes in three of his last four starts. Editor’s note: Fitzpatrick shot 4-over par and missed the cut.
Scooby Axson: Tommy Fleetwood (+1600)
It’s time for one of the more consistent players on tour to break through and win his first major. If he can get his putter right, he has a chance to be in the final group on Sunday and hoist the Claret Jug. Editor’s note: Fleetwood is tied for eighth place at 4-under par.
Blake Schuster: Rory McIlroy (+900)
It’s easy to call this a boring pick, but I think I’m taking a risk with a guy who by his own admission is “so bad at golf”. May we all be as fortunate to play as poorly as the back-to-back Masters champ. McIlroy hasn’t won The Open since 2014, but he’s rarely out of it. The 37-year-old has six Top 10 finishes at The Open in his last 10 tries and is coming off a weekend at the Scottish Open where he roared back into contention on Sunday following a dreadful third round. If that happens again this weekend, he’ll have a raucous gallery on his side to help him finish the job. Editor’s note: McIlroy is tied for 38th place at 1-under par.
Mark Giannotto: Jon Rahm (+2200)
Rahm looks to bounce back after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and he’s got three top-seven finishes in his past five starts at The Open Championship. The LIV Golf star has proven he can play with precision to win a major and he’s due for a breakthrough performance after struggling at times on golf’s biggest stages in recent seasons. Editor’s note: Rahm is tied for eighth place at 4-under par.
Open Championship weather forecast
The Accuweather forecast for every round at the 2026 Open Championship calls for mostly clear and dry conditions at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.
Sunday, July 19 (Final Round)
- Partly sunny and nice, high of 71 and low of 59. Wind predicted to the northwest at 10 mph with gusts of up to 21 mph.
British Open 2026 prize money payouts
The winner of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is set to receive a record $3.2 million in prize money, tournament officials announced on Tuesday, July 14.
The final men’s golf major of the season will feature a total purse of $17.75 million. That’s an increase of $500,000 from last year’s Open Championship, according to Golfweek. The payouts include $3.2 million to the golfer who captures the Claret Jug, up $100,000 from 2025.
Read here for the full list of payouts.
Open Championship cut rules: How many golfers made the weekend?
Only the top 70 golfers (and ties) on the leaderboard after Friday’s Round 2 made the cut to play the weekend at the 2026 Open Championship. The cut line was set at 1-over par, which allowed 78 golfer through for the final two rounds.
Here are the most notable golfers who will be watching the final two rounds from home.
