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23rd Jul 2025

Fans turn on Bryson DeChambeau after nasty incident with Portrush volunteer

SportsJOE

Bryson finished nine shots off winner Scottie Scheffler at The Open

Bryson DeChambeau has worked hard on his public image in recent years having previously been dubbed the bad guy of golf, but this incident from The Open won’t do him any favours.

The 31-year-old two-time US Open winner finished tied for 10th at Royal Portrush at the weekend, eight shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler.

While approaching his ball in the rough at Portrush, he asks a ball spotter to move out of his way with a fair bit of attitude, before laughing and saying: “He’s stood right in front of me.”

Given many ball-spotters get players out of jail by finding their ball, and the fact so many are actually volunteers, this felt like a bit of an unnecessary move from Bryson.

DeChambeau also complains about pace of play

Bryson wasn’t in the best of moods at times over the weekend, also complaining about the pace of play at Royal Portrush after being grouped with Justin Rose and Robert Macintyre.

Offering up a solution, he said: “It’s very simple. It’s not difficult at all. You individually time everybody for their whole entire round. It’s very simple. Nobody wants to do it. Because people are too scared to get exposed. Which, I’m an advocate for. I’d love to be timed, and I have no problem with that.

“My putting — I’m more deliberate and take more time on that. But when it comes to iron shots and off the tee, I’m pretty fast.

“I think it would be more fair towards everybody. You know if somebody is playing slower, the [official] can go up to them and say, ‘Hey man, you’re over par with your time.’ All you do is you just time them for every shot — he gets there, puts the bag down, and how long it takes them to hit that shot. And how long it takes them to walk to the green.

“It’s not rocket science. You time how long someone takes individually and then you separate that from the other person playing. You start-stop on them the whole entire thing.”