Bryson DeChambeau has spoken for the first time about the controversial two-shot penalty he believes cost him a shot at winning The Open.
DeChambeau was remarkably penalised in his second round after officials reviewed footage and ruled he had improved the area of his backswing by flattening some long grass on Royal Birkdale's fifth hole.
The penalty turned his bogey into a triple-bogey seven, which moved him from outright second to fifth in the standings at the midway point.
DeChambeau threatened to withdraw from the tournament in protest but played on, making it through to the weekend to end a run of three consecutive missed cuts in majors and avoid the 'Bryson Slam' of missing all four in a season.
But despite recovering with rounds of 69 and 72 he was left wondering what might have been after finishing six shots behind winner Ryan Fox.
"I made the cut," DeChambeau told a LIV Golf UK press conference.
"It was a good fight. I wish I'd have given it more on Saturday and Sunday, it felt like I could have.
"Besides the fifth, being three over on it, and the 11th, that's six shots. That's tied for the lead right there.
"Two holes and I'm right there for the Claret Jug."
World No 1 Scheffler defended DeChambeau over the rules controversy, insisting his fellow American is "not a cheater", while Rory McIlroy described the incident as "performative".
"I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson," McIlroy said on Saturday. "I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention.
"To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn't feel like it was a great look."
