How Rory McIlroy went from defending Bryson DeChambeau to calling out his ‘performative’ antics

Rory McIlroy made the headlines last weekend at Birkdale when he said he “wasn’t particularly fond” of Bryson DeChambeau after the American’s actions following his two-shot penalty for illegally improving his lie in the second round of the Open.DeChambeau was assessed a penalty for stamping on grass judged to have improved his lie. The American, in petulance at the decision, said he may not play on in the tournament, which led to a delay in the field getting tee times for the third round.McIlroy took a dim view after an incident where he said there was “no doubt he improved the line of his backswing”.“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.Rory McIlroy on Bryson DeChambeau and the rules incident: ‘I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention’ pic.twitter.com/sA2i2wxbmB— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) July 18, 2026

“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 did not always feel that way about DeChambeau, defending him in 2021 at a time where he had an infamous row with Brooks Koepka and when he was regularly getting heckled from galleries.“I think deep down, he is a nice person,” McIlroy said. “I certainly feel some sympathy for him because I don’t think that you should be ostracised or criticised for being different.”Bryson DeChambeau drives on the 18th hole during the final round of the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York in September 2020. Photograph: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images The Northern Irishman also had plenty of admiration for DeChambeau’s game after he won on the US Open at Winged Foot, admitting that he chased distance to try to keep up with him. But DeChambeau’s eccentric personality has grated on McIlroy over the years to the point now where he has called him “performative”.The mood began to change with DeChambeau’s move to LIV in 2022, with McIlroy front and centre in defending the PGA Tour. DeChambeau was asked if he was joining the tour at the Memorial Tournament in June and said: “I personally don’t think that at this point in time I’m in a place in my career where I can risk things like that.” One week later, DeChambeau signed up for the Saudi-backed tour on a big-money contract.At the US Open later that month, McIlroy said “People went back on their word, so I guess I took them at face value, and I am wrong.”With DeChambeau’s growing fame from his YouTube channel and performances in Majors, he came to be seen as one of the most prominent faces on the tour McIlroy vehemently opposed. A golfing traditionalist, McIlroy has never been a big fan of the YouTube golf movement or LIV’s ideas for golf, and the animosity was bubbling ahead of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.That final day was arguably the lowest point of McIlroy’s career. Leading by two strokes with a handful of holes left, McIlroy missed two putts from inside four feet to lose to DeChambeau by one stroke. It came after 10 years without a Major, and bitter close misses at the Open in 2022 and the US Open the previous year.The feelings were so raw for McIlroy that he drove off immediately without speaking to the media and took a month away from the game. When the dust settled and they met for a televised PGA Tour versus LIV showdown later that year, McIlroy bantered: “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 replied: “To be fair, you kind of did it to yourself.”The comment stung, even if it was said jokingly, and true to the narrative they would meet in the final round of the Masters a few months later, with McIlroy chasing the career Grand Slam.Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after his par putt on the 18th hole secured the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images After a tense final round, DeChambeau was not best pleased as he said McIlroy “did not talk to me once all day” and would not respond when he tried to initiate conversation.“I don’t know what he was expecting,” McIlroy said a month later. “We’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to try to be his best mate out there.”McIlroy revealed in an Amazon Prime documentary, though, that they did speak at least once, in a moment where both players had similar length putts on the ninth hole at Augusta, with both players wanting to putt first to put the pressure on.“He goes, ‘Why don’t we just throw a tee up for it to see who goes first’. And I’m like, ‘No, this is the final round of the Masters. This isn’t some game on a Tuesday afternoon somewhere’,” McIlroy said.“I wasn’t going to wilt in that situation. I’m going to stand firm.”DeChambeau relented, McIlroy holed his birdie putt and DeChambeau missed, which McIlroy thought was a key moment in the round.The sniping continued at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage later that year, when DeChambeau said he would be “chirping” in McIlroy’s ear during the event.Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy line up putts on the third green during the final round of the 2025 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty Images “I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people,” McIlroy said in response. “To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler], or others.”McIlroy and DeChambeau did not directly come up against each other at the Ryder Cup, but DeChambeau was a fan favourite for the jingoistic crowd.Europe won the away Ryder Cup, with McIlroy starring, but the abuse from the USA fans left a bitter taste, with McIlroy saying golf should be held to a higher standard. Since then, McIlroy has received an increase in abusive comments online and heckling of him has increased at tournaments on US soil, often from a certain type of fan who may be more fond of DeChambeau.At the Open last week, the mostly anonymous social media accounts supporting DeChambeau took to pointing out every transgression in McIlroy’s career as golf’s culture war continues. McIlroy, who has avoided political talk when possible in his career, has been cast as a liberal when compared to DeChambeau’s backing of US president Donald Trump, a participant in his YouTube series and who brought DeChambeau on stage during his 2024 election victory speech. To add a further twist to a bizarre tale, journalist Geoff Shackleford claimed that while DeChambeau was pleading his case to the R&A officials last week, he wanted Trump to get involved, Balogun-style.With the Major season over, the next time McIlroy bumps into DeChambeau could be at the Irish Open at the Trump-owned Doonbeg, should the rumours be true that the American will commit to the event. McIlroy deadpanned that DeChambeau playing would be “great for the tournament”. For the interest, it sure would. But don’t expect them to becoming best buds any time soon.