During the second round at Royal Birkdale, Bryson DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving his lie on the fifth hole and later consulted rules officials, delaying Saturday tee times. Rory McIlroy publicly criticized the actions as performative and attention-seeking while acknowledging personal dislike stemming from the 2024 US Open. DeChambeau stood at five under par after the penalty, three shots behind the lead.