Brandel Chamblee has firmly backed the R&A’s decision to hand Bryson DeChambeau a two-shot penalty at the 154th Open Championship, insisting tournament officials applied the Rules of Golf correctly.

The controversial ruling came after the R&A determined that DeChambeau had inadvertently improved the area of his intended backswing while playing his second shot on the fifth hole during Friday’s second round at Royal Birkdale. The penalty changed his score on the hole from a bogey to a triple bogey, dropping him from one shot off the lead to three behind leader Lucas Herbert.

Speaking on Golf Channel, Chamblee left no room for doubt when asked whether the punishment was justified.

“I do. Incontrovertibly,” Chamblee said.

He pointed directly to Rule 8.1 of the Rules of Golf, explaining that players are not permitted to improve the conditions affecting their stroke.

“He was in breach of Rule 8.1, which says your actions in any way cannot move, bend or break the area around your golf ball. You cannot improve the conditions affecting the stroke, and it was clear that his actions were improving the conditions of his stroke.”

Chamblee also criticized DeChambeau’s actions around the ball, adding:

“He did everything but lay down behind it.”

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley also supported the R&A’s decision and suggested DeChambeau had only made matters worse by refusing to accept the ruling.

“I don’t think Bryson is helping himself,” McGinley said.

The Golf Channel analyst argued that DeChambeau could have defused the situation by accepting the decision gracefully instead of expressing frustration.

“He has made a bad situation worse here by not accepting the penalty with a bit of grace,” McGinley added.

McGinley also noted that the LIV Golf star’s actions inevitably invited scrutiny from tournament officials.

“When you invite conjecture around the rules, sometimes you’re going to get burnt,” he said.

Despite the criticism, DeChambeau’s camp continues to believe the ruling was unfair. His longtime agent, Brett Falkoff, defended the two-time U.S. Open champion, insisting:

“He’s a lot of things. He’s not a cheater.”

The R&A, however, has stood by its ruling, stressing that intent is irrelevant under Rule 8.1 and that any improvement to the area of an intended swing carries a two-stroke penalty, even if accidental.

The incident remains one of the biggest talking points of this year’s Open Championship as DeChambeau attempts to recover from the costly setback over the weekend.