Golf isn’t exactly a sport known for chaos—but even on a calm day at Oakmont, Bryson DeChambeau found a way to stir up controversy.
The defending U.S. Open champion made headlines not for his swings or scores, but for a strange rules blunder that left fans scratching their heads and experts calling him out.
Trouble Begins on the Fourth Hole
It all started on the fourth hole—a daunting 621-yard par 5—where DeChambeau’s tee shot veered into a bunker.
From there, he laid up with his second shot, which ended up landing on a spectator walkway.
That placement entitled him to free relief under the rules of golf, giving him the chance to drop the ball in a nearby spot free from interference.
But here’s where things started to unravel.
A Premature Pickup Causes Confusion
Before DeChambeau could figure out where to drop the ball, his caddie, Gregory Bodine, picked it up—without marking the original spot.
That minor misstep quickly turned into a major issue.
Since the ball had already been lifted, and the relief area was determined to be farther back, they couldn’t return it to its previous position.
The two were soon seen in deep discussion with an official as they tried to sort out the next steps, visibly confused by how the rule should be applied in this situation.
A Rule Violation in Plain Sight
Once they figured out where to drop, DeChambeau made yet another mistake—he placed the ball on the ground instead of dropping it from knee height, as is required under modern golf rules.
The small error caught the attention of everyone watching, both on the course and in the commentary box.
Sky Sports analyst Nick Dougherty didn’t hold back, saying, “However you look at it, that was a fairly stupid mistake for a very intelligent man.”
Former European Tour winner Andrew Coltart chimed in too, noting how bizarre the whole sequence was: “It’s just not a natural thing to do.
But he does that to us, doesn’t he? He keeps us guessing.”
Commentators Left Stunned
Rich Beem, a former PGA champion and now a Sky Sports voice, walked viewers back through the moment.
He expressed disbelief that the caddie picked up the ball before a mark was made and questioned why DeChambeau didn’t move farther back to take relief.
“If you’re going to take relief, why take it so close to where it was? Why not take it five yards back?” he asked.
Penalty Decision Still Pending
As of now, the USGA hasn’t officially confirmed whether DeChambeau will face a penalty.
There’s some precedent for this kind of mistake—Rory McIlroy, for example, got hit with a penalty back in 2014 at Abu Dhabi for a similarly mishandled relief situation.
That said, the ruling body will have to review the full sequence and make a judgment, which could still impact DeChambeau’s tournament moving forward.
Not Letting It Ruin His Round
Despite the chaos, DeChambeau managed to finish the front nine on a respectable level-par 35.
After his round, he acknowledged things didn’t quite go as planned: “Pretty disappointed with how I played,” he said.
Still, he stayed optimistic: “It’s not too far off. Just got to get the putting a little bit more dialed, and I’ll be right there.
Three-over could’ve easily been two-under today.”