Bryson DeChambeau's bid to win The Open takes a hit after he is given a two-shot penalty on a dramatic evening at Royal Birkdale.

Bryson DeChambeau's bid to win The Open has taken a hit after he was given a two-shot penalty on a dramatic evening at Royal Birkdale. The American looked to have lifted himself to one shot off the lead on seven under par with a four-under 66 in round two, but was whisked away by rules officials when he walked off the course to discuss a rules infringement. DeChambeau was accused of trampling on long grass close to his ball on the fifth hole. After a long discussion with Open officials, it was confirmed he had been given a two-shot penalty for "inadvertently improving his lie", pushing him back to five under par and three shots behind leader Lucas Herbert. DeChambeau's participation in the rest of the tournament remains in doubt after the two-time US Open champion, who has never won The Open, refused to confirm he would definitely play in Saturday's third round. He did not answer questions when he walked past the assembled media after emerging from the recorders' office, where he spent more than 20 minutes discussing the issue with officials including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. DeChambeau then added that he was off to "hit some balls" and headed off to the driving range, where he posed for a selfie with fans before talking to his team on the practice area. Bryson DeChambeau has dropped from second on the leaderboard to tied fifth at the halfway stage