Bryson DeChambeau’s Wild Open Championship Swing: 66 and a Two-Shot Penalty in the Same Round

Bryson DeChambeau delivered one of the most dramatic swings of momentum at The Open Championship on Friday, following up a disastrous opening-round 78 with a stunning 66 at Royal Birkdale that appeared to vault him into solo second place. Instead, a lengthy rules review and a two-stroke penalty turned his signature moment into a controversy, dropping him into a tie for fifth as the tournament heads into the weekend.

DeChambeau, the two-time U.S. Open champion, had entered the week under fire after missing the cut in each of the year’s first three majors — the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. His major drought made his Thursday 78 feel like more of the same, but Friday’s response was anything but. He birdied the par-5 17th with a deft bump-and-run and closed with a mashed drive down the middle of the brutally long 18th, setting up a mid-range birdie that appeared to move him to 7 under for the championship.

The Penalty That Changed Everything

What looked like a signature rebound turned into an hour-long saga once DeChambeau walked off the 18th green. Officials opened a rules review that ultimately resulted in a two-stroke penalty, dropping him from a share of second place into a tie for fifth at 5 under alongside Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim. Burns and Kim each carded a 62 on Friday, matching the major championship scoring record, while Australian Lucas Herbert’s own record-tying 62 vaulted him into the outright lead at 8 under heading into the weekend — the largest 36-hole cushion of its kind in recent major memory.

Even with the penalty, DeChambeau’s turnaround was the story of the day. Cameron Young, playing steady golf of his own, sits two shots back in a tie for second after back-to-back rounds of 67. A star-studded group at 4 under includes defending champion Scottie Scheffler, two-time major winner Jon Rahm, and England’s Tommy Fleetwood, with Scheffler drawing attention for elite tee-to-green numbers undercut by a balky putter that has him ranked near the bottom of the field on the greens.

What It Means Heading Into the Weekend

DeChambeau’s rebound, penalty and all, reframes the final two rounds at Royal Birkdale. A five-shot deficit to Herbert is far from insurmountable given how volatile the leaderboard has already proven to be, and DeChambeau’s power off the tee remains a genuine weapon on a long, exposed links layout. His story this season has been one of extremes — five missed cuts against a lone win over his last eleven major appearances — and this week has already delivered both ends of that spectrum in the space of 24 hours.

For bettors tracking the market shifts, DeChambeau’s odds to win the Claret Jug moved sharply after his Friday 66 before settling back out following the penalty announcement. Fans looking to get a look at live tournament pricing can check current DraftKings promo code offers as the weekend field takes shape. With Herbert, Burns, Young and a deep chase pack all within reach, moving day at Royal Birkdale is set up to be one of the most compelling of the major season, and DeChambeau’s ability to keep his composure after Friday’s late twist will go a long way in determining whether his major renaissance continues or stalls out again.