Scottie Scheffler Defends Bryson DeChambeau Amid Open Rules Controversy

World number one Scottie Scheffler insists Bryson DeChambeau is "definitely not a cheater" as the discussion about the rules incident which overshadowed The Open rumbles on.

DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty after Friday's second round when he was judged to have inadvertently improved his swing path on the fifth hole.

Officials from the R&A, which organises The Open, said DeChambeau broke rules by trampling down knee-high rough behind his ball.

The R&A emphasised that DeChambeau's actions had been accidental but pointed out that the rule still applied.

The 32-year-old American thought a round of 66 had left him a shot off the lead at the halfway stage, but his hopes of lifting the Claret Jug were hampered by the penalty.

DeChambeau felt he had been unfairly treated and, following rounds of 69 and 72 at the weekend, finished six shots adrift of eventual champion Ryan Fox.

After Sunday's final round, DeChambeau, who did not speak to the media all week, again refused to say anything.

"I've never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf, I never saw anything suspicious," said fellow American Scheffler, who was playing with DeChambeau when the incident occurred.

"When you're watching him there from that camera angle, maybe he was a touch careless around his ball, but I don't think he did anything intentionally."

The two-shot penalty given to DeChambeau was a "clear-cut decision from a rules perspective", according to R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.

But it did not stop DeChambeau complaining.

There had been some doubt about whether he would even continue playing at the tournament because of the decision, but said later on Friday it would "fire" him up for the weekend.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who admitted he is "not fond of" DeChambeau, said there was "no doubt" he had improved the line of his backswing, before accusing his rival of holding the Open to "hostage".

DeChambeau received a warm reception from the Birkdale crowd when he did step out for the third round on Saturday, although there were a few isolated shouts inferring he was a "cheat".

Scheffler rejected that notion when he spoke about the incident after his final round on Sunday.

"All I'll say is I've known him for a long time, and he's a lot of things, but he's definitely not a cheater," said the 2025 Open champion.

Scheffler said he felt the angles of video replays made any reviews far from conclusive, but added: "I think we need to get back to the traditions of the game and maybe we do need to police things a little bit more stricter."