Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau's long-standing feud has reignited at The Open Championship after McIlroy criticized DeChambeau for a rules violation that delayed the tournament. The Masters champion was penalized two strokes for improving the area of his backswing by standing on a large tuft of high grass during his second round at Royal Birkdale.
DeChambeau's Penalty and Delay
Incensed by the punishment, DeChambeau requested to be driven to the scene of the incident on the fifth hole, where he spent a lengthy period remonstrating with officials before returning to the scoring compound for further discussions. The saga delayed the publication of third-round tee times until around 11pm, prompting criticism from several players, including McIlroy.
McIlroy accused DeChambeau of holding the tournament "hostage" and called his antics "performative." He also stated he was "not particularly fond" of the LIV Golf star. The Northern Irishman added, "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.'"
History of Animosity
The pair have a history of tension. At the 2024 US Open, McIlroy suffered a late collapse, allowing DeChambeau to win. The crestfallen McIlroy left the course without congratulating his rival, later doing so on Instagram. Later that year, during the Showdown event in Las Vegas, McIlroy said, "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 response — "Well, to be fair, you kinda did it to yourself" — did not go down well with McIlroy, who considered it cruel. At last year's Masters, McIlroy gave DeChambeau the silent treatment as he focused on winning the Green Jacket.
Silent Treatment and Masters Spat
DeChambeau, whose challenge faded down the final stretch, said of his final-round playing partner: "No idea, he didn't talk to me once all day." McIlroy hit back, saying: "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."
The broad verdict is that R&A officials were correct in imposing the two-stroke penalty, which dropped DeChambeau from one to three shots off the lead heading into the weekend. McIlroy agreed, saying, "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."
Current Standings
Going into the final round, DeChambeau is tied for sixth place at six under par, four shots behind leader Sam Burns. McIlroy, at two under par and eight shots off the lead, appears out of contention.
