Why Jon Rahm should consider himself incredibly fortunate after Bryson DeChambeau docked two shots at The Open
· Yahoo Sports
Jon Rahm avoided major punishment on day two of The Open Championship, but Bryson DeChambeau was not so lucky.
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DeChambeau was docked two shots for inadvertently improving his backswing area on the fifth hole, causing him to drop from seven-under to five-under.
He is now three shots off the lead heading into the weekend, while his fellow LIV Golf star Rahm is one shot further back.
But it could have been much worse for Rahm, who should consider himself incredibly fortunate following his behaviour during the second round of The Open Championship.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty ImagesJon Rahm incredibly fortunate after Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty at The Open
Rahm was caught throwing his club on the 15th tee after a wayward shot, for which he was handed a warning at Royal Birkdale.
The major championships are doing their utmost to clamp down on such behaviour, as evidenced at this year’s US Open.
Another LIV Golf player, Joaquin Niemann, received a two-shot penalty for throwing his club at Shinnecock Hills.
Speaking after his round, Rahm claimed he wasn’t worried about a penalty, but DeChambeau’s misfortunes at the very end of the day may just have changed his mind.
Golf needs to enforce consistency after Jon Rahm’s club throw at The Open
Given the increase in instances of on-course misconduct, golf’s governing bodies have been left with no choice but to impose harsher punishments on players.
That arrived at an unfortunate time for Niemann, who became the first golfer to be penalized under the new major championship code of conduct.
Paul McGinley welcomed Niemann’s US Open punishment, with the player himself saying afterwards that he will learn from the incident.
Many others have, however, avoided punishment despite similar outbursts, which have included extreme swearing in moments of frustration.
Rahm is now in that category after his club throw, which suggests more consistency is needed with what is deemed serious misconduct.
Whether or not his behaviour crossed the line is up for debate, but golf fans and indeed players deserve consistency with such a significant ruling.
Club throws are clearly much more dangerous than the likes of swearing and DeChambeau improving his lie, but it is the American who is currently paying a huge price for his actions at Royal Birkdale.
Read more:Bryson DeChambeau finally breaks silence after being given a two-shot penalty at The Open