McIlroy Accuses DeChambeau of Trying to ‘Hold the Tournament Hostage’ at British Open
McIlroy said DeChambeau’s dispute over a two-stroke penalty delayed tee times until around 11 p.m. and drew criticism from other players.
- Masters champion Rory McIlroy delivered an extraordinary rebuke to Bryson DeChambeau at the 154th Open Championship, calling him 'performative' and accusing the American of holding the tournament 'hostage' over a rules dispute at Royal Birkdale.
- DeChambeau objected to a two-stroke penalty for improving his backswing area by standing on high grass at the fifth hole, requesting to be driven to the incident scene where he remonstrated with officials for a lengthy period.
- Watching from the players' lounge, McIlroy said, 'As soon as he made his step into the ball, we all sort of looked at each other and were like, That didn't seem right,' and confirmed the penalty was justified.
- Following the confrontation, DeChambeau practiced until 10:30pm Friday, while the penalty dropped him from second place; McIlroy's round of 69 left him two under and out of contention.
- McIlroy's public criticism reflects their well-known rivalry; he previously refused to speak to DeChambeau at the 2025 Masters, though the R&A's penalty decision gained broad support from observers including former Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley.
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91 Articles
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Rory McIlroy Trashes Bryson DeChambeau in Stunning Golf Presser: ‘I’m Not Fond of Him’
Rory McIlroy sounded off on fellow golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau following a rules controversy at the 2026 Open Championship. In a stunning press conference Saturday, McIlroy ripped DeChambeau over his conduct at golf’s final major championship of the season. The controversy stems from a 2-stroke penalty DeChambeau was assessed during Friday’s second round. DeChambeau was livid after officials deemed he had illegally improved the conditions a…
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