Northern Irish golf star Rory McIlroy has launched a scathing attack on American rival Bryson DeChambeau, accusing him of being 'performative' and 'holding The Open tournament hostage' following a contentious two-shot penalty. The incident, which occurred during DeChambeau's second round at Royal Birkdale on Friday, has cast a shadow over the championship and ignited a fierce debate within the golfing world.
DeChambeau was penalised two strokes after rules officials determined he had improved his swing path by treading down long grass on the 5th hole. The sanction came after a heated discussion where DeChambeau reportedly threatened to withdraw from the tournament, only confirming his intention to play in the third round shortly after midnight on Friday. McIlroy, a Masters champion, did not mince words when discussing the controversy, stating, 'I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him.'
McIlroy, who watched the incident unfold live, commented that he and other players immediately felt DeChambeau's actions 'didn’t seem right'. He added, '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.'
The controversy extended beyond the penalty itself, causing significant delays in the announcement of third-round tee times, which were not released until around 11pm on Friday. This disruption drew criticism from several players, including England's Marco Penge and American Justin Thomas. McIlroy echoed these frustrations, noting, '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.'
Despite the uproar, DeChambeau completed his third round with a score of 69, leaving him four shots behind current leader Sam Burns. However, he was met with a cry of 'Bryson ya cheat' on the final green. Following his round, DeChambeau reportedly sought to retrieve his physical scorecard from day two from R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, a request which was politely declined. He also continued his streak of bypassing waiting media for the third consecutive day.
While DeChambeau found some support from compatriot Max Homa, who felt the ruling was incorrect and asserted DeChambeau would 'never cheat the game of golf', the overall sentiment among many players and observers, particularly McIlroy, has been one of strong condemnation regarding his conduct and its impact on the prestigious tournament.