Rory McIlroy's brutal putdown of Bryson DeChambeau's behaviour at The Open Championship has brought their long-standing animosity back into the spotlight. The Masters champion criticised DeChambeau after the American incurred a two-stroke penalty for a rule breach on the fifth hole at Royal Birkdale, accusing him of holding the tournament 'hostage' and calling his actions 'performative'. McIlroy also admitted he is 'not particularly fond' of the LIV Golf star.
The Penalty Incident
DeChambeau was penalised for improving the area of his backswing by treading on a large clump of high grass during his second round. After being notified post-round, he was driven back to the scene to discuss the ruling with R&A officials, who upheld the penalty. This dropped him from one shot to three shots off the lead at the halfway stage and delayed the publication of third-round tee times until late at night.
McIlroy, who witnessed the incident live, said: 'I was watching it live. I was up in the players' lounge watching it with a few other players and as soon as he made the step into the ball we all sort of looked at each other, and we were like, 'That didn't seem right.' Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials it was pretty obvious for why. I think there's no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Whether it was careless or whether it was intentional, I don't think it matters. Hopefully, it was careless, but I think the two-shot penalty was justified for sure.'
A History of Hostility
The pair's rivalry dates back years. At the 2024 US Open, McIlroy suffered a late collapse, handing DeChambeau the victory. A dejected McIlroy left the course without congratulating his rival, though he later did so on social media. Later that year, during the Showdown event in Las Vegas, McIlroy stated: 'I'd like to go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the US Open.' DeChambeau's retort—'Well, to be fair, you kinda did it to yourself'—did not sit well with McIlroy.
At last year's Masters, McIlroy gave DeChambeau the silent treatment while both were vying for the Green Jacket. DeChambeau later said: 'No idea, he didn't talk to me once all day.' McIlroy fired back: 'I don't know what he was expecting. We're trying to win the Masters. I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there.'
Current Standings
Heading into the final round, DeChambeau is tied for sixth place on six under par, four shots behind leader Sam Burns. McIlroy, on two under par, is eight shots off the pace and appears unlikely to mount a challenge. The R&A's decision has drawn widespread support, with many players agreeing the penalty was warranted.
