
The 2026 PGA Championship is underway at Aronimik Golf Club in Newton Square and Bryson DeChambeau is hoping to win it this time coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes. He may find that a lot tougher after a brutal first round, exemplified by a very tough time with one particular hole.
At hole number two (his 11th of the day), DeChambeau was already at plus-four due to a quartet of bogeys. But his tee shot sailed well south of where he wanted to place it on the green, and his ball wound up sitting on a set of stairs.
A PGA rules official tried explaining what he was allowed to do, but DeChambeau admittedly struggled to understand.
"I'm so confused right now," he said on a hot mic.
"I'm so confused right now."
— ESPN (@espn) May 14, 2026
Bryson DeChambeau had a hard time understanding the rules after his tee shot landed directly on the stairs pic.twitter.com/NIBs6K8A5E
One user on X clarified that the issue being discussed with him was whether he could take relief from the potential cart path:
"The issue was about whether the mulch area was considered a cart path from which he would have the option to take relief. They were initially told that it was not a cart path, but the rules official told Bryson he could take relief from the mulch area. That was the confusion," the user noted.
Other fans found it funny at how much he complains in general:
"Literally the worst job in the world is explaining weedy rules to Bryson," one user wrote.
"When people at the airport learn that group 4 boards after group 3," wrote another.
"I’m a Bryson fan but why does it seem like every single round he plays there’s some weird [expletive] like this lol."
Ultimately, DeChambeau was allowed to drop the ball off the step and into a native, playable area. He managed to save par thanks to a shot that took him less than 23 feet away from the hole.
DeChambeau would finish the round with a score of 76 after bogeys on holes seven and eight. At nine strokes off the lead to start, DeChambeau is going to need to have the round of his life on Friday just to make it to the weekend, let alone contend for anything.
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