DeChambeau Penalty & Near Miss With Poulter at The Open

Bryson DeChambeau's week at The Open ended in the kind of chaos only he seems capable of generating — a two-stroke penalty assessed during the championship at Birkdale, and a tee shot that nearly took out Ian Poulter. Whatever your view of DeChambeau, dull he is not.

Ryan Fox Wins Open Championship at Birkdale

The penalty added another layer of drama to a tournament that had plenty of it. Ryan Fox eventually lifted the Claret Jug at ten under par, with Cameron Young a shot back and Sam Burns a further stroke adrift in third. For South Africa, Casey Jarvis gave us reason to watch closely, finishing in a share of sixth at six under par — solid, purposeful golf from a young man who belongs at this level.

DeChambeau's Errant Drive Nearly Hits Poulter

The Poulter incident was exactly what it sounds like. A DeChambeau drive strayed dangerously close to the LIV Golf stalwart. No contact was made, but the proximity was enough to cause serious alarm. As anyone who has stood near a tee when a big hitter lets one go understands, at that speed and that distance, it would have hurt — a lot.

More than 300,000 spectators packed into Birkdale across the week, which tells you everything about the appetite for golf right now. The sport is drawing crowds, drawing storylines and drawing controversy in equal measure. DeChambeau, as ever, contributed generously to all three.

The PGA Tour's next stop is the Rocket Classic, where the field will look to reset after a major week that left several reputations reshaped and at least one man grateful he still has both kneecaps.