Truthout⁠74%

US Golfer Tried to Call Trump to Overturn Penalty, on Heels of World Cup Scandal ⁠79%

By Sharon Zhang⁠79%

7/21/2026, 9:23:30 PM

BS Summary: This article contains 22 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Biased Writer Voice, and Post Hoc (False Cause), with Availability Heuristic as the most egregious example at 37.6% saturation with 166 hits. Analysis detected 1,057 faulty-reasoning hits from 442 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 70.1% and a BS Rank of ⁠79% (4,746 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 78.30% of the article peer group.

On Friday, American golfer and right-winger Bryson DeChambeau reportedly threatened to get President Donald Trump to help get a two-stroke penalty overturned during the Open in the U.K. this weekend, just weeks after a scandal in which the president intervened in a penalty for a U.S. men’s soccer player during the World Cup. 
During a lengthy argument with officials over the penalty that apparently escalated to the golf club’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, DeChambeau evidently said that he would call Trump to help plead his case. 
The account of DeChambeau’s threat has been reported on by multiple outlets, first by Substack writer Geoff Shackelford, then confirmed by U.K. outlets. 
The request for Trump’s involvement was denied. 
But DeChambeau refused to sign off on his scorecard for the round during the argument, which delayed the process for other players “until nearly midnight,” Shackelford reported. 
“Yeah, look, I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson,” said Rory McIlroy, a top golf player from Northern Ireland, in remarks on Saturday. 
“I’m not particularly fond of him. 
I think a lot of it’s performative. 
I think a lot of it’s for attention.” 
“To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look,” McIlroy said. 
DeChambeau’s penalty was ultimately upheld. 
DeChambeau said in a post on X on Friday that he was “[o]bviously disappointed with the ruling,” but “it is what it is.” 
The golfer finished the competition tied for 14th, with a score of four under par. 
DeChambeau, a darling of the right, is close with Trump and his family. 
Last year, he visited the White House, and Trump has previously played several rounds of golf with the golfer, including once when DeChambeau joined the then-Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf league. 
The incident comes as Trump has grown his influence into the sports world. 
Earlier this month, Trump reportedly called FIFA President and Trump ally Gianni Infantino asking for a suspension for a top U.S. men’s player, Folarin Balogun, to be overturned after he was handed a red card during a Round of 16 World Cup game. 
The suspension was overturned, and Trump once again spoke with Infantino, thanking him. 
The White House confirmed the conversation about the penalty, saying that “the correct and proper outcome was achieved.” 
Some soccer analysts argued that there were legitimate reasons for the suspension to be overturned. 
But Trump’s call to Infantino raised concerns of corruption, calling into question the integrity of the decision. 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 10.9%Sharon Zhang: 7.6%Truthout: 5.8%Confirmation Bias10.9%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.2%Truthout: 0.8%Anchoring Bias0.0%This article: 37.6%Sharon Zhang: 4.8%Truthout: 3.4%Availability Heuristic37.6%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.5%Truthout: 0.9%Representativeness Heuristic0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.2%Truthout: 0.4%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.5%Truthout: 1.3%Overconfidence Bias0.0%This article: 6.3%Sharon Zhang: 13.5%Truthout: 10.0%Framing Effect6.3%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.3%Truthout: 0.5%Loss Aversion0.0%This article: 4.1%Sharon Zhang: 0.3%Truthout: 0.4%Status Quo Bias4.1%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.7%Truthout: 0.2%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.8%Truthout: 1.0%Optimism Bias0.0%This article: 14.9%Sharon Zhang: 2.5%Truthout: 2.3%Pessimism Bias14.9%This article: 36.9%Sharon Zhang: 21.3%Truthout: 12.2%Negativity Bias36.9%This article: 5.2%Sharon Zhang: 2.0%Truthout: 0.9%Self-Serving Bias5.2%This article: 3.4%Sharon Zhang: 2.3%Truthout: 1.4%Fundamental Attribution Error3.4%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.1%Truthout: 0.2%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 4.3%Sharon Zhang: 2.4%Truthout: 1.9%In-Group Bias4.3%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 2.3%Truthout: 0.7%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 2.9%Sharon Zhang: 0.6%Truthout: 1.0%Halo Effect2.9%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.0%Truthout: 0.3%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.0%Truthout: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 14.9%Sharon Zhang: 2.7%Truthout: 1.2%Recency Bias14.9%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.6%Truthout: 0.3%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.2%Truthout: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 2.5%Truthout: 1.6%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.0%Truthout: 0.5%Straw Man0.0%This article: 9.3%Sharon Zhang: 5.3%Truthout: 3.7%Appeal to Authority9.3%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.5%Truthout: 1.9%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 2.9%Sharon Zhang: 1.8%Truthout: 1.5%Slippery Slope2.9%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.2%Truthout: 0.3%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 10.1%Truthout: 7.7%Hasty Generalization0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.9%Truthout: 0.3%Red Herring0.0%This article: 3.4%Sharon Zhang: 0.4%Truthout: 0.6%Bandwagon3.4%This article: 3.8%Sharon Zhang: 11.4%Truthout: 8.8%Appeal to Emotion3.8%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.7%Truthout: 1.7%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 25.6%Sharon Zhang: 2.9%Truthout: 3.0%Post Hoc (False Cause)25.6%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.1%Truthout: 0.2%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 2.0%Truthout: 0.8%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.0%Truthout: 0.1%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.3%Truthout: 0.4%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 6.1%Sharon Zhang: 1.2%Truthout: 2.7%Anecdotal6.1%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.1%Truthout: 0.1%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 3.8%Sharon Zhang: 3.2%Truthout: 1.5%Ambiguity (Equivocation)3.8%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.0%Truthout: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.4%Truthout: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.4%Truthout: 0.1%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 0.3%Truthout: 0.1%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 6.8%Sharon Zhang: 1.2%Truthout: 0.3%Genetic Fallacy6.8%This article: 6.8%Sharon Zhang: 3.0%Truthout: 1.5%Unattributed Quote6.8%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 2.2%Truthout: 1.6%Quote-first Misdirection0.0%This article: 26.2%Sharon Zhang: 15.2%Truthout: 9.5%Biased Writer Voice26.2%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 1.9%Truthout: 2.9%Indoctrination0.0%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 8.6%Truthout: 7.2%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 2.9%Sharon Zhang: 0.7%Truthout: 0.3%Politically Right Leaning Bias2.9%This article: 0.0%Sharon Zhang: 2.6%Truthout: 1.3%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…0.0%

442 words analyzed.

Speakers

2speakers23%attributed speech340writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 15 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 53 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 33 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 27 words • 0.0% coverageRory McIlroy • 26 words • 0.0% coverageRory McIlroy • 6 words • 0.0% coverageRory McIlroy • 7 words • 100.0% coverageRory McIlroy • 8 words • 100.0% coverageRory McIlroy • 32 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 5 words • 0.0% coverageBryson DeChambeau • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 30 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 43 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 100.0% coverage
Selected voice

Bryson DeChambeau

100%flagged-word coverage
23 attributed words23% of attributed speech92% writer coverage
0%17.5%35.0%Biased Writer Voice-34.1 ptsWriter: 34.1%Bryson DeChambeau: 0.0%0.0%Unattributed Quote-4.4 ptsWriter: 4.4%Bryson DeChambeau: 0.0%0.0%Politically Right Leaning -3.8 ptsWriter: 3.8%Bryson DeChambeau: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.