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USGA tells Bryson DeChambeau’s his compass violates Rule 14-3a
Bryson DeChambeau’s use of a compass (in conjunction with his yardage book to find “true hole locations”) at last month’s Travelers Championship was initially a source of amusement in the social media sphere.
Then, the situation became anything but funny for DeChambeau himself, as the PGA Tour and USGA began a discussion about potential rules being broken and whether he ought to be able to continue to to use the device.
The PGA Tour had temporarily given DeChambeau permission to use the device while putting the ball in the USGA’s court. Yesterday, the USGA announced DeChambeau’s compass use is a violation of Rule 14-3a.
The USGA released a statement to GolfChannel.com: “At the request of the PGA Tour, the USGA and the R&A reviewed Bryson DeChambeau’s stated use of a drawing compass to assist him in determining ‘true’ hole locations, and jointly determined that his specific usage would be in breach of Rule 14-3, if used in a future round.
“The Rule prohibits a player, during a stipulated round, from using any artificial device or unusual equipment, or using any equipment in an abnormal manner, that ‘might assist him in making a stroke or in his play.’ Because a compass is not a usual piece of equipment in golf, and Bryson clearly stated that he had used the device to assist him, the USGA, R&A and the PGA Tour agreed it was in the best interest of the game to share this determination with Bryson immediately. In doing so before his next round, we have made every effort to assist Bryson in avoiding possible disqualification and provide clarity to the PGA Tour and other players in the field.”
According to Golf Digest’s Joel Beall writes, John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of rules, competitions and equipment standards, spoke with DeChambeau for 45 minutes on July 3.
“With some of these sorts of devices, it can be difficult lines to draw on what’s permissible and what is not permissible,” Bodenhamer said. “But here, we drew the line there with Rule 14-3.”
The text of Rule 14-3a states
14-3. Artificial Devices and Unusual Equipment; Abnormal Use of Equipment
Rule 14-3 governs the use of equipment and devices (including electronic devices) that might assist a player in making a specific stroke or generally in his play.
Golf is a challenging game in which success should depend on the judgement, skills and abilities of the player. This principle guides the USGA in determining whether the use of any item is in breach of Rule 14-3.
Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment, or use any equipment in an abnormal manner:
a. That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play
This is DeChambeau’s second run-in with U.S. golf’s governing body. In 2017, the USGA ruled DeChambeau’s sidesaddle putter non-conforming.
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Pingback: Can PGA Players Use Rangefinders? (2022 Update) - fungolf.co.uk
Ell
Jul 9, 2018 at 4:14 pm
My required fields were marked!
Man
Jul 9, 2018 at 2:18 am
I will have a GPS tracker plugged into my brain that tells me from the Google maps GPS satellite where I am standing on the planet
Bob Parson Jr.
Jul 8, 2018 at 11:39 am
And the USGA wonders why their membership is in decline…..
Daniel Whitehurst
Jul 8, 2018 at 1:39 am
So he’s trying to find the true hole location. So he obviously found a discrepancy between the hole sheet and the actual location. So how is it an advantage if he finds the true location? It would be a disadvantage to not try to find it. Way to go USGA using common sense again in rules decisions. The next decision you make just do the opposite and all will be good. You’re welcome
Bruce Ferguson
Jul 7, 2018 at 7:57 pm
Whatever frivolous advantage in knowledge he might gain regarding the true hole location, he still has to make the shot. Excessive hair-splitting in the rules department, IMO.
Pete O'Tube
Jul 7, 2018 at 4:02 pm
Have a look at the putt, your first look is the best. Then just hit it for goodness sake. Bin the encyclopedias in the back pocket and GET ON WITH IT!!
Richard Douglas
Jul 7, 2018 at 10:44 am
There’s a prominent player on Tour who keeps a strip of white medical tape on a particular finger. This shows the player where his hand is on the grip. This sort of alignment tool for the grip is against the rules, yet this player’s use of it has been tolerated for more than 2 decades.
Daniel Whitehurst
Jul 8, 2018 at 1:34 am
If your referring to Tiger you couldn’t be more wrong. 1 he does that because that’s his high pressure point on his right hand and 2 not 1 good player with a good grip or pro needs a piece of tape on his hand to tell him where to grip the club, gimmie a break . That’s why they “allow it”. Plus grips come available with ridges up the back called reminders.
OninTwoDowninOne
Jul 8, 2018 at 2:22 am
Richard…yep. What an Richard comment. A pro needs tape on a finger to determine hand placement, does it work for you?
Josh
Jul 7, 2018 at 1:33 am
BAN GREEN READING BOOKS THEN TOO
Wiger Toods
Jul 6, 2018 at 8:57 pm
Also, did no one call them out for the awful quote, “…it can be difficult lines to draw on what’s permissible…”
Jerks.
Wiger Toods
Jul 6, 2018 at 8:56 pm
I hope he ties two pencils together. This is an absolute crock. Bryson, get a super-bendy two sided pencil!!
Google “Bencil”
Brad
Jul 6, 2018 at 6:57 pm
The USGA hates Bryson Dechambeau. They hate that he is playing well and will take every opportunity to undermine him anyway they possibly can. If Tiger Woods wanted to use an abacus and measuring tape on the greens they would probably allow him to do so.
Man
Jul 6, 2018 at 7:59 pm
No, they wouldn’t, so stop stroking his c
JN
Jul 6, 2018 at 5:31 pm
No looking at the sun either!
Fingers
Jul 6, 2018 at 4:15 pm
So is it now illegal to walk off yardages if a person knows what a 1 yard stride is or if someone wants to get real technical and their shoe is exactly 12″ are they banned from using that as a measuring device too? Im asking for a friend…. And does plumbobbing fall under this measuring device rule too?
Roy
Jul 6, 2018 at 4:07 pm
So a book that details every possible break in the green is legal, but 2 6 inch metal sticks stuck together are not???
Jeff
Jul 6, 2018 at 2:50 pm
This is just silly. The USGA is tripping. You still have to putt the ball. If a protractor is a helpful with green reading, putting stroke or getting my ball started on line then I would understand the ban but come on.
Ray
Jul 6, 2018 at 2:38 pm
There goes my green lantern secret decoder ring and my use of the North Star…seems the USGA can prohibit any and everything with the language unusual…they are as ridiculous as the NCAA…
Jamie
Jul 6, 2018 at 12:53 pm
Guess we won’t get to see the gyroscope to measure the earth’s rotation. Whew! A few hundred people would have laughed themselves to death.
Adam
Jul 6, 2018 at 12:41 pm
Why do I have the feeling DeChambeau is/was trolling the USGA just to see what their idiotic response would be?
Richard Douglas
Jul 7, 2018 at 10:47 am
This is an excellent observation/speculation. I still haven’t heard what the real use of this object is–saying it’s for locating pin locations is an inadequate (and nonsensical) explanation.
The only problem with this hypothesis is that it would take a very long time for anyone at the USGA to wake up and notice its use; Bryson would have to troll them for quite some time. Hard to imagine spending time on a practical joke when he’s trying (and succeeding) to win tournaments. Still….
JJD
Jul 6, 2018 at 12:31 pm
Next up… star charts.
Brian
Jul 6, 2018 at 10:10 am
I’m surprised DeChambeau hasn’t brought in survey equipment at this point.