DeChambeau moves the dial for golf but is his posturing and pantomime worth the hassle? | Ewan Murray

Petulant reaction to a justified two-stroke penalty at the Open illustrate why the American is happier on the LIV tour

The potential for stigma was laid bare close to the conclusion of Saturday at the Open Championship. “Bryson, ya cheat,” bellowed a lone voice from the stand adjacent to Royal Birkdale’s 18th green. This is an environment in which being unfaithful to one’s spouse would be seen as preferable to breaching the sacred rules of a sacred game.

By Sunday, the world No 1, Scottie Scheffler, was riding to the defence of Bryson DeChambeau. “I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a lot of things, but he’s definitely not a cheater,” said Scheffler. Except in this case, nuance is required. No one in authority has actually accused DeChambeau of cheating for the incident which incurred a two-stroke penalty. The R&A’s executive director of governance stipulated DeChambeau’s action when breaching the rules during round two was “accidental”.

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