Scottie Scheffler was among the raft of players who was asked for his view on the penalty Bryson DeChambeau received during the second round of The Open Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau was handed a two-shot penalty on Friday evening after the R&A officials deemed that he had improved the lie around his ball in the thick rough on the fifth hole.
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DeChambeau looked to be absolutely furious with the decision, even threatening to not continue playing in the final major of the year.
So it was no surprise that almost every player who spoke to the media on Saturday was asked for their opinion, including Scottie Scheffler.
What Scottie Scheffler said about Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty at The Open
Scheffler’s view was more important than most, given that the world number one was playing in the same group as DeChambeau for the first two days. So he and Tyrrell Hatton had a unique perspective on the situation.
That made Scheffler’s response particularly disappointing.
“I was out practising. I was playing with him yesterday. I don’t really have a ton to say on it. Actually, I do have a ton to say. I haven’t decided exactly what I want to say publicly yet,” he said.
“I do have some thoughts. I don’t really feel like now is the time or place for me to comment. We’re in the middle of a tournament, and I’m focused on what I need to do. I need to go out tomorrow and shoot a low round. I’m not really going to expand on it too much.”
But that was not the only reason that Scheffler’s reply was frustrating.
Scottie Scheffler needs to speak out more
Scheffler is the best player in the world, and has been for a number of years now. It is important that he has a view on the biggest topics in the game.
While Scheffler has always tried to distance himself from the more controversial subjects, his response to the DeChambeau question is arguably worse because he has teased saying something that would clearly make a lot of headlines.
He obviously has a strong view on the matter. But if he did not feel comfortable speaking freely, he should have perhaps refrained from saying anything at all for now.
Scheffler’s view may not change anything when it comes to the penalty handed out to DeChambeau, but as the world’s best player, his opinion does matter.
It is now time he used his voice much more often.
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