Rory McIlroy has joined the smear campaign against Bryson DeChambeau, because after finishing his round, the Northern Irishman referred in a somewhat belligerent way to the American’s attitude regarding the two-stroke penalty imposed on the “Scientist” on Friday for improving the lie of his ball before taking a swing on the 5th hole.
“As soon as he stepped toward the ball, we all looked at each other and thought: ‘That doesn’t look right”, McIlroy said today after signing a 69-shot scorecard. “Then, when I heard that the referees had called it, I think we all understood the reason; it was pretty obvious,” he added.
Rory is clear about it: “Yes, I think there is no doubt that he improved the line of his swing. Again, it doesn’t matter whether it was careless or intentional (if it had been intentional, they could have disqualified him), I think it doesn’t matter. Hopefully it was careless, but I think the two-stroke penalty was completely justified.” He was undoubtedly eager to go for the jugular.
The fact is that yesterday the starting times for today’s round were delayed in being published because DeChambeau went with the referee to review the area where he had been penalized. His result had already been modified, but all of this affected the publication of the tee times. Specifically, this did not sit well at all with the Masters champion. “It was a long night for everyone. Look, I’m not going to pretend to be here defending Bryson. I don’t particularly like him. I think a lot of what he does is an act. I think a lot of what he does is to draw attention. Keeping the tournament on edge that way, and having all of us—players, volunteers, everyone—waiting for him to leave, didn’t seem like a good look to me.”
McIlroy and DeChambeau became fierce rivals when the American beat the Northern Irishman at the 2024 US Open after the latter’s mistake, and McIlroy got his revenge when they faced off in the final round of the 2025 Masters. Their antagonism is also, in part, that of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
This week DeChambeau decided not to speak to the press—only to the Open—after remarks made on their respective talk shows by Nick Faldo and commentator Brandel Chamblee, who took shots at him for no reason.
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