Bryson DeChambeau in angry confrontation with cameraman

Bryson DeChambeau has called for players to be given greater protection after being involved in an angry confrontation with a television cameraman during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The world No.10 took a wild swipe at a bunker after a poor shot on the seventh hole at Detroit Golf Club and, as he walked to the eighth tee after dropping a shot, he took his frustrations out on the cameraman following him.

The pair were photographed exchanging words by Golf Channel reporter Will Gray, who said they spent approximately a minute having a ‘testy discussion’.

“He was literally watching me the whole entire way up after getting out of the bunker, walking up next to the green. And I just was like, ‘Sir, what is the need to watch me that long?’” DeChambeau said later.

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“I mean, I understand it’s his job to video me, but at the same point, I think we need to start protecting our players out here compared to showing a potential vulnerability and hurting someone’s image. I just don’t think that’s necessarily the right thing to do.”

DeChambeau clearly felt that the cameraman was trying to catch him in a bad light, which the 26-year-old claimed could have damaged his brand.

“As much as we’re out here performing, I think it’s necessary that we have our times of privacy as well when things aren’t going our way,” he said. “I mean, we’re in the spotlight, but if somebody else is in the spotlight they wouldn’t want that either.

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“I feel like when you’re videoing someone and you catch Tiger at a bad time, you show him accidentally doing something, or someone else, they’re just frustrated because they really care about the game. It could really hurt them if they catch you at a potentially vulnerable time.

“We don’t mean anything by it, we just care a lot about the game. For that to damage our brand like that, that’s not cool in the way we act because if you actually meet me in person, I’m not too bad of a dude, I don’t think.”

DeChambeau ultimately carded a 67 to lie 16-under-par, three shots behind leader Matthew Wolff with 18 holes to play.