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On Friday, American golfer and right-winger Bryson DeChambeau reportedly threatened to get President Donald Trump to help get a two-stroke penalty overturned during the Open in the U.K. this weekend, just weeks after a scandal in which the president intervened in a penalty for a U.S. men’s soccer player during the World Cup.
During a lengthy argument with officials over the penalty that apparently escalated to the golf club’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, DeChambeau evidently said that he would call Trump to help plead his case. The account of DeChambeau’s threat has been reported on by multiple outlets, first by Substack writer Geoff Shackelford, then confirmed by U.K. outlets.
The request for Trump’s involvement was denied. But DeChambeau refused to sign off on his scorecard for the round during the argument, which delayed the process for other players “until nearly midnight,” Shackelford reported.
“Yeah, look, I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson,” said Rory McIlroy, a top golf player from Northern Ireland, in remarks on Saturday. “I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention.”
“To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look,” McIlroy said.
DeChambeau’s penalty was ultimately upheld. DeChambeau said in a post on X on Friday that he was “[o]bviously disappointed with the ruling,” but “it is what it is.” The golfer finished the competition tied for 14th, with a score of four under par.
DeChambeau, a darling of the right, is close with Trump and his family. Last year, he visited the White House, and Trump has previously played several rounds of golf with the golfer, including once when DeChambeau joined the then-Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf league.
The incident comes as Trump has grown his influence into the sports world. Earlier this month, Trump reportedly called FIFA President and Trump ally Gianni Infantino asking for a suspension for a top U.S. men’s player, Folarin Balogun, to be overturned after he was handed a red card during a Round of 16 World Cup game.
The suspension was overturned, and Trump once again spoke with Infantino, thanking him. The White House confirmed the conversation about the penalty, saying that “the correct and proper outcome was achieved.”
Some soccer analysts argued that there were legitimate reasons for the suspension to be overturned. But Trump’s call to Infantino raised concerns of corruption, calling into question the integrity of the decision.
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