Bryson DeChambeau involved in yet ANOTHER rules debacle

Another week, another Bryson DeChambeau rules fiasco.

In his first competitive round of golf since he clocked up that ten at The Memorial a fortnight ago, the American put himself squarely at the centre of yet another controversy, this time in the opening round of the WGC-Invitational at TPC Southwind

Playing the par-4 seventh – his 16th hole of the day after starting at the tenth – the 26-year-old launched a drive into the left rough. 

It was when he reached his ball that things got weird. 

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With his ball stuck behind twigs just beneath a tree, DeChambeau called over a rules official to see if he could get relief. 

His justification for wanting a drop? 

Ants. 

“I know there’s burrowing animal stuff right here, especially ants,” he told the official. “I see a red ant right here. I’m stepping right on it. You’ve got some holes right here with ants coming out of it.”

After much deliberation, the official told DeChambeau that he couldn’t see any fire ants, which might cause a dangerous situation and which would warrant a free drop under Rule 16: “Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions (Including Immovable Obstructions), Dangerous Animal Condition, Embedded Ball.”

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The world No.7 and his caddie continued to press the case but the official couldn’t be persuaded. 

“It doesn’t interfere with your stance regardless,” he said. “It’s not an animal hole.”

Finally, DeChambeau accepted his fate but went on to double-bogey the hole, tumbling back to two-under having been five-under just five holes earlier. 

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DeChambeau ultimately signed for a three-under 67 and, afterwards, spoke to reporters about the incident, which he admitted was “weird”.

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“There was discoloured dirt and I saw a couple red ants there and I was thinking, hmm, anthill, may get something or whatnot,” he explained. “I asked him and he was like, well, it’s got to be, you know, kind of endangering you. 

“There was just discussion there and he didn’t think it was necessary for a drop. so I’m always going to respect the officials and go, okay, no issue, that’s fine.

“Didn’t help that I had a really, really bad lie, too, but it s what it is.”