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SOUTHPORT, England – Rory McIlroy watched the 154th British Open live from the players lounge with several other players after he completed his round on Friday morning and he had plenty to say about Bryson DeChambeau being penalized two strokes.
“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,” McIlroy said on Saturday after shooting a 1-under 69. “Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, I think we all – it was pretty obvious for why.
“Yeah, I think there's no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, it's like, 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.”
McIlroy and DeChambeau have been become fierce rivals, with DeChambeau edging the Northern Irishman at the 2024 U.S. Open and McIlroy getting revenge when they were paired together in the final round at the 2025 Masters, where McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam. During the peak of the civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, they also were the unofficial spokesman for their rival sides.
MORE: Live updates from Saturday's third round of The Open
The R&A docked DeChambeau two strokes in violation of Rule 8.1 for improving his intended backswing. But first there was a lengthy meeting of the minds both in the scoring trailer and then a trip back to the scene of the crime to the penalty area at the fifth hole, where DeChambeau’s tee shot went astray. One of the unintended consequences of hearing out DeChambeau in an animated conversation was a delay to the release of the tee times for the final round. Justin Thomas even asked on social media if they could hurry up and release them.
“Late night for everyone,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, look, I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. 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 expressed understanding that every shot for DeChambeau and several players such as himself are captured on camera while there are many players that aren’t constantly having their every move aired live. That goes with the territory of being a star and those players are compensated handsomely for the TV time they generate.
“You can say that that's unfair or whatever, or it might happen more than it does. It's obviously impossible to police everyone, and that's why it is, for the most part, a self-policing game,” McIlroy said. “I think when there is obvious evidence like there was last night, then obviously that's a different story.”
On Friday night, DeChambeau declined to speak to the media after a round at a major for the sixth straight time and proceeded to hit balls at the range for nearly an hour. None of it sat well with McIlroy, the world No. 2 and reigning Masters champion. Asked if he thought DeChambeau knew what he was doing, McIlroy said, “Again, I'm not in his mind. But it didn't look good.”
Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy rips Bryson DeChambeau for being 'performative,' 'seeking attention'
Continue reading...
“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,” McIlroy said on Saturday after shooting a 1-under 69. “Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, I think we all – it was pretty obvious for why.
“Yeah, I think there's no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, it's like, 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.”
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McIlroy and DeChambeau have been become fierce rivals, with DeChambeau edging the Northern Irishman at the 2024 U.S. Open and McIlroy getting revenge when they were paired together in the final round at the 2025 Masters, where McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam. During the peak of the civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, they also were the unofficial spokesman for their rival sides.
MORE: Live updates from Saturday's third round of The Open
The R&A docked DeChambeau two strokes in violation of Rule 8.1 for improving his intended backswing. But first there was a lengthy meeting of the minds both in the scoring trailer and then a trip back to the scene of the crime to the penalty area at the fifth hole, where DeChambeau’s tee shot went astray. One of the unintended consequences of hearing out DeChambeau in an animated conversation was a delay to the release of the tee times for the final round. Justin Thomas even asked on social media if they could hurry up and release them.
“Late night for everyone,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, look, I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. 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 expressed understanding that every shot for DeChambeau and several players such as himself are captured on camera while there are many players that aren’t constantly having their every move aired live. That goes with the territory of being a star and those players are compensated handsomely for the TV time they generate.
“You can say that that's unfair or whatever, or it might happen more than it does. It's obviously impossible to police everyone, and that's why it is, for the most part, a self-policing game,” McIlroy said. “I think when there is obvious evidence like there was last night, then obviously that's a different story.”
On Friday night, DeChambeau declined to speak to the media after a round at a major for the sixth straight time and proceeded to hit balls at the range for nearly an hour. None of it sat well with McIlroy, the world No. 2 and reigning Masters champion. Asked if he thought DeChambeau knew what he was doing, McIlroy said, “Again, I'm not in his mind. But it didn't look good.”
Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy rips Bryson DeChambeau for being 'performative,' 'seeking attention'
Continue reading...
