Scottie Scheffler has called for stricter rules following the recent controversy involving Bryson DeChambeau at The Open. Despite the incident, Scheffler insists that his Ryder Cup teammate is not a cheater.

DeChambeau expressed his frustration after receiving a two-shot penalty late on a Friday night, which followed a commendable second-round score of 66 that had him just one shot off the lead. The penalty stemmed from him unintentionally improving his swing line by trampling down long grass near his ball at Royal Birkdale, which left him trailing Lucas Herbert by three shots at the halfway mark.

While Rory McIlroy criticized DeChambeau for what he labeled as "performative" behavior, Scheffler chose to focus on defending his title rather than sharing his candid thoughts during the tournament. After finishing with a fourth-round 67 that placed him in a tie for fourth, he voiced his concerns regarding golf regulations.

Scheffler remarked, "I think that opens up a greater discussion. I can really say is I think maybe we need to be a little bit more strict in the way that we are policing guys... things can look different than they do when you're right there."

He added, "Bryson, I've known him for a long time, and he's a lot of things, but he's definitely not a cheater. I've never seen him cheat once... maybe he was a touch careless around his ball, but I don't think he did anything intentionally."

Scheffler concluded by emphasizing the need to return to golf's traditions and the importance of enforcing rules more rigorously, while also acknowledging the complexities involved in policing the game.