The Open Championship never disappoints.

Lucas Herbert (-8) started Friday with a bang, firing a major championship record-tying 62. It could’ve been a 61 too, if not for a bogey on the final hole.

The coverage was all over Herbert, so most fans had no idea Sam Burns was doing almost the exact same thing about 15 minutes behind him. I think the broadcast showed maybe two shots from Burns’ entire round.

How does that even happen?

We’re getting live shots of Lucas Herbert taking a sip from his water bottle, but nobody can find a camera for the guy posting the same score one group back?

The rest of the day saw Cameron Young (-6), Scottie Scheffler (-4), and Bryson DeChambeau (-7) play themselves firmly into contention.

Then the real drama started.

The golf was over, but the broadcast wasn’t.

Bryson headed back onto the course with rules officials after being assessed a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie.

He was animated. He was frustrated. And honestly, it’s easy to understand why.

The officials are claiming that this step, in the video below, moved the fescue his backswing would’ve gone through, inadvertently improving his lie.

Depending on the camera angle, you can make a convincing case either way.

How can anyone say with certainty that his lie was improved? I don’t know. Two major champions seemed to agree with that assessment.

This ruling feels like one of those things that could be called 30 times every tournament… if officials actually wanted to.

That’s why I think fans who feel this was selectively enforced have a legitimate gripe.

Anyway, after another round of drama in which Bryson reportedly threatened not to tee it up, the show will go on.

His 10:30 tee time just became appointment viewing.

Who’s Chasing?

-6 R Fox, J Suber, C Young, R Gerard; –5 S Burns, B Dechambeau, SW Kim; –4 S Scheffler, J Rahm, T Fleetwood.

Full Leaderboard & Tee Times Here

Battered by Birkdale: Big Names Who Missed the Cut at The Open

How To Watch The Action This Weekend

USA’s telecast runs from 5-7 a.m. ET, followed by NBC from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. ET.

A mix of comeback math, golf-boom growing pains, a long-overdue first at St Andrews, a public course getting dragged into White House demolition drama, and YouTube golf continuing its march into the mainstream.

→ Bryson’s PGA Tour Comeback Might Not Be That Complicated
Bryson DeChambeau says a potential return to the PGA Tour might come down less to executives and more to whether the players actually want him back. He also raised questions about how much freedom he’d have to keep creating content around tournaments, which is kind of the whole Bryson machine now. The funny part? The Tour says players can already post during practice rounds and pro-am days, so the biggest hurdle might not be the rules. It might just be the room. (Skratch Golf)

→ Golf Got Too Popular and Now Kids Can’t Get Tee Times
The golf boom has been great for courses, brands, and anyone selling $12 beers at the turn. But there’s a problem nobody loves talking about: junior golfers are getting squeezed. Tee sheets are packed, access is tighter, and the kids who are supposed to be the future of the game are sometimes stuck indoors hitting into simulators instead of actually playing. Great problem for the industry. Not so great if you’re 13 and just want to get on the course. (GolfDigest.com)

→ It Only Took The R&A 272 Years
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews named Claire Dowling as the first woman captain in its 272-year history. That’s a big deal, even if the timeline makes you do a double take. The club only opened membership to women in 2014, and now Dowling will take over as captain in September. Progress is progress — even when it shows up a few centuries late. (The Guardian)

→ White House Rubble Got Dumped On A Golf Course. Now There’s Toxic Metal Drama
Debris from the White House East Wing demolition was dumped at East Potomac Golf Links, the same public D.C. course already caught up in renovation controversy. According to Fortune, a National Park Service report found the soil tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals, while the Department of the Interior says the project passed legal safety standards. Either way, “public golf course becomes dumping ground for White House rubble” is not exactly the feel-good muni story of the year. (Fortune)

→ YouTube Golf Just Got Called Up To The Big Leagues
Grant Horvat and the Bryan Bros are joining Wasserman’s newly rebranded agency, The Team, after it acquired Provisions Golf. Translation: YouTube golf is not some side corner of the sport anymore. These guys are getting folded into the same kind of machine that represents major athletes, runs events, and knows how to turn attention into money. The line between “golf influencer” and “golf business” is basically gone. (frontofficesports.com)