New Delhi, July 19 -- SOUTHPORT - Players, caddies and tournament officials at Royal Birkdale sat waiting in the clubhouse for nearly 80 minutes Friday evening while Bryson DeChambeau argued his case in the recorder's area, the lights coming on across the links as tee times for Saturday's third round remained unset. The delay, triggered by a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving his swing line on the fifth hole, stretched until nearly 11pm and set the stage for one of the sharper public exchanges in recent Open Championship memory.

The violation occurred on the par-four fifth hole. DeChambeau stepped into thick rough while positioning himself for his second shot, his left foot crushing the grass ahead of him and flattening vegetat...