Bryson DeChambeau nearly makes bizarre U.S. Open rules gaffe

Bryson DeChambeau had a tough walk around Oakmont Country Club on Thursday during the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open.

The defending U.S. Open champion hit only 57 percent of his fairways while losing 1.91 strokes putting and 1.4 strokes around the green as he shot an opening-round 3-over 73.

But DeChambeau’s day at Oakmont was almost much worse as he nearly made a major rules blunder early in the round on the par-5 4th hole.

DeChambeau drove his ball into a fairway bunker and hacked it out, his ball rolling into a spectator crosswalk. He decided to take free relief from the crosswalk, which is deemed ground under repair for the championship. DeChambeau had his caddie pick up his ball, and they began surveying where he would make a drop.

DeChambeau eventually called a USGA official over and, after learning that he couldn’t take relief on the forward side of the crosswalk, DeChambeau started to place his ball back in its original landing spot. However, since DeChambeau’s caddie had already picked the ball up, the official informed DeChambeau that he needed to take full relief now that he had started the process. Otherwise, he would be assessed a one-stroke penalty to replace the ball in its original spot.

He heeded that advice, but it didn’t end there.

DeChambeau retreated to the nearest point of relief, bent over and placed his ball on the turf. As he went to grab a club, the rules official stepped in and informed him that he had to drop the ball for it to be in play. He could not place it.

Had DeChambeau not taken this advice and gone on to hit his placed ball, it would have been a two-shot penalty. He quickly moved to action and followed orders, dropping it in a legal way. But in short, DeChambeau effectively avoided two different bizarre rules gaffes to start his U.S. Open title defense. All he had to accept was a 12-yard loss of distance, which didn’t cost him anything. He played his approach to 17 feet and two-putted for par.

You can watch the entire sequence below:

The USGA issued the following statement to GOLF.com on DeChambeau’s near gaffe.

“Bryson’s ball came to rest in a fairway crosswalk on the 4th hole that is treated as ground under repair from which free relief is available. He lifted his ball to take relief and believed he would be able to do so on the green side of the crosswalk. However, before dropping he asked for assistance from a referee, and it was determined that his nearest point of relief was on the tee side of the crosswalk. From that point, he properly completed relief and played his second shot toward the green.”

DeChambeau eventually made par on the hole and made the turn at even par before running into three bogeys on his back nine. His score could have been worse if not for the 25-foot bogey putt he made from off the green on the par-5 12th hole.

J.J. Spaun went out in the early wave and posted a bogey-free round of 4-under 66. DeChambeau will enter the second round seven shots off his pace but might consider himself lucky not to be any further back.