SOUTHPORT, England — In the Rules of Golf, Rule 8.1 states that a player is prohibited from improving the “conditions affecting the stroke.” That includes the player’s lie, the area of his intended stance, the area of the player’s intended swing and the player’s line of play.

During the second round of the Open Championship on Friday, the R&A determined that Bryson DeChambeau breached that rule inadvertantly as he prepared to play his second shot on the fifth hole. In deciding this, officials assessed DeChambeau the general penalty of two shots.

DeChambeau made a bogey 5 on the hole en route to what he thought would be a four-under 66 on the day, a score that would have left him at seven under for the tournament, one shot back of leader Lucas Herbert. After the penalty, DeChambeau signed for a triple-bogey 7 on the hole, and a two-under 68, and now enters the weekend with a five-under score, three off the lead.

After DeChambeau made birdies on his last two holes of the round and walked to the scoring area, R&A chief referee Grant Moir and other R&A officials met with to DeChambeau about the potential rules violation. After a period of time, they left the scoring area and got into golf carts, driving out to the fifth hole with DeChambeau to discuss the matter, at Bryson’s request. While DeChambeau and the officials were out on the course for at least 20 minutes, cameras caught DeChambeau angrily trying to explain what happened. In the end, he was unable to sway the officials from assessing the penalty.

Playing in the same threesome as Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton, DeChambeau looked to be attempting to drive the green on the short par-4 fifth hole when his tee shot went way right into the long grass. Worried he might not find the ball, he played a provisional. Officials did find the ball, and he proceeded to play his second shot over the green. He then chipped his third on to the green and two-putted for the bogey.

However, as he went to play the shot, cameras showed DeChambeau stepping around and behind his ball on a couple of occasions. He also was seen moving his club through the tall grass behind his ball. R&A officials deemed that while doing that, he breached the rule, improving the path of his swing with the club.

“The area of intended swing includes the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, the downswing or the complaining of the swing for the intended stroke, and importantly, what the prohibited action here is that the player mustn’t move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object,” Moir said in explaining the decision. “A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance, if in some situations that improves the condition affecting the stroke, but when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.”

DeChambeau signed his scorecard roughly an hour after his round ended, proceeding to go to the driving range, where he hit balls until well after dark. He did not speak to the media.

Moir said DeChambeau’s action were deemed “inadvertant,” but that the rule applies just the same.

“I would reiterate this rule applies even when there’s no intention to improve the area, as was the case with Bryson,” Moir said.

Here’s the specific language of the Rule 8.1:

This Rule applies to actions taken both during a round and while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a.

a. Actions That Are Not Allowed

(1) Move, bend or break any:

(3) Alter the surface of the ground, including by:

(4) Remove or press down sand or loose soil.

(5) Remove dew, frost or water.

b. Actions That Are Allowed

(1) Fairly search for their ball by taking reasonable actions to find and identify it (see Rule 7.1a).

(4) Ground the club lightly right in front of or right behind the ball. “Ground the club lightly” means allowing the weight of the club to be supported by the grass, soil, sand or other material on or above the ground surface.

(5) Firmly place the feet in taking a stance, including a reasonable amount of digging in with the feet in sand or loose soil.

(6) Fairly take a stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance.

But when doing so the player:

(7) Make a stroke or the backswing for a stroke that is then made.

But when the ball is in a bunker, touching the sand in the bunker in taking the backswing is not allowed under Rule 12.2b(1).

(11) Move a natural object to see if it is loose.

But if the object is found to be growing or attached, it must stay attached and be returned as nearly as possible to its original position.