Rory McIlroy accuses Bryson DeChambeau of ‘holding the Open hostage’

James Corrigan Sat, July 18, 2026 at 4:58 PM UTC

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Bryson DeChambeau’s antics did not impress his fellow players - Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Rory McIlroy has accused Bryson DeChambeau of “holding the Open Championship to hostage” by threatening to withdraw after being hit with a two-shot penalty.

As DeChambeau was battling to stay in contention in the third round, the golf world was still reeling from the remarkable scenes on Friday night, which featured the fuming American contesting the officials’ decision to sanction him for “inadvertently improving his lie” in the rough on the fifth hole.

During his animated remonstrations, DeChambeau warned the referees “I just won’t play tomorrow”, but the officials stood by the verdict and eventually, via a social media post after midnight, DeChambeau backtracked and indicated he would tee it up.

“Obviously disappointed with the ruling,” he posted on X. “I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. On to the weekend. Let’s get it.”

He also posted a doctored, and since-deleted, picture of himself on Instagram hovering above the grass where the offence took place along with the caption: “Walking into the weekend like...”

However, by that stage, McIlroy and apparently other pros had become exasperated by DeChambeau’s antics.

“I was watching it live,” McIlroy said, after shooting a third-round 69. “I was up in the players’ lounge watching it with a few other players, and 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.

“Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials – it was pretty obvious why. I think there’s no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, 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 saga lasted for up to an hour and the players had to wait to discover the third-round tee-times as DeChambeau fought his corner until his score was eventually amended to a 68 and he was sent down the leaderboard from second into a tie for fifth. McIlroy and co were not impressed.

“It was a 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 agreed that other players could have escaped punishment, but was not affording DeChambeau any latitude.

“There’s a lot of guys that play this week and the shots aren’t on camera,” he said. “So you can say 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. But I think when there is obvious evidence, like there was last night, then that’s a different story.”

Rory McIlroy still has an outside chance after shooting a third-round 69 - David Davies/PA

McIlroy’s 69 left him on two under, six off the clubhouse lead set by Ryan Fox, the Kiwi who shot the third 62 of the week. “I probably feel like I’m a little too far behind, but never say never.

“There’s been a few 62s and if I go out tomorrow and get to double digits, you never know. But yeah, I certainly am not going out tomorrow thinking like I’ve got a great chance to win.”

DeChambeau lost the plot, says Faldo

Sir Nick Faldo also accused DeChambeau of having “lost the plot” over the two-shot penalty.

Faldo said it would be “tough you-know-what” if DeChambeau had withdrawn in protest after the R&A found him guilty of “inadvertently improving his lie” while standing in long grass during his second round at Royal Birkdale.

Speaking about DeChambeau’s initial reaction to being penalised, Faldo told Sky Sports: “He lost the plot for a couple of minutes.”

Faldo added: “If he didn’t bowl up on Saturday, it would be tough you-know-what. I mean, no player is bigger than the game. Jack [Nicklaus] and Arnold [Palmer] and everybody have all left the arena of being competitive and golf has gone on. Golf will always go on. Tiger’s [Woods] gone very quiet; golf has gone on.

“You’ve got to be grateful that you were able to enjoy being out there and being competitive in our great game. But, once you’re done, golf is just going on. So, if he disappeared tomorrow, we’d all say, ‘Oh well, that was tough’. But we all carry on.”

DeChambeau threatened to quit the Open on Friday night - Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

DeChambeau was penalised for his conduct after his ball ended up in long grass on the fifth hole. Watching footage of the offence, Faldo said it showed the grass had been “crushed considerably”.

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He added: “You cannot bend or move anything in your intended swing path, back or through.

“It’s got nothing to do with [it being] Bryson. He’s put his foot down, he’s moved the grass, and that, simply, is our rulebook, and I think the R&A handled it beautifully, handled it factually.

“And, for me, bottom line, job done. Sorry, mate. You got a two-shot [penalty]. Hey, back in the old days, two shots meant you had the wrong scorecard and you were DQd [disqualified]. So, he should be happy he’s around and can go forth and see if he can still do it.”

After being shown DeChambeau’s post on X, Faldo said: “Well, that’s Bryson. He wants to be the centre of attention and everything.

“I always thought you wanted to come into a major and really keep your mind and body on a lovely, even kind of zen keel. And for him to be having to deal with all of this emotion, whether it fires him up or not, we will see. But I’ve got to believe it’s another hurdle to climb.”

Asked how the crowd would react to DeChambeau on Saturday, he replied: “I’m sure if he goes in the rough, somebody’s going to say something. You would’ve thought so.

“It won’t be abusive. It’ll be tongue-in-cheek. Our British sense of humour. It’s not going to be abusive like the Ryder Cup. I’m sure the lads will possibly say something like that. But this is the greatest championship for the fans, the respect.

“You’re applauded on to every single green as you come on, regardless of whether they even know who you are in the stands. So, that’s how cool the Open is.”

Faldo wound up DeChambeau before the start of the tournament by accusing the American of having “zero clue of strategy”.

After carding a first-round 67, DeChambeau repeatedly used the words “strategic” and “strategy” to describe how he had played.

Faldo doubled down on opining on how DeChambeau should approach his third round.

“With our game, it’s not like I can thump you harder,” he said. “I’ve still got to control my feel and touch and decision-making. You can’t come out here [like] a bull in a china shop – which he tried to do before, and somebody mentioned strategy might work.

“But he’s got to take it down, I believe, a couple of notches and try to turn it into a bit of fun. That would be the smartest move.

“Rather than anger about what’s happened. And he’ll get a lot of respect if he flipped it the other way but used it inside as motivation: ‘I’m going to finish this off’. That’s fine. You can do that quietly.”

McIlroy-DeChambeau feud: a history

June 2024: McIlroy collapse at Pinehurst

Rory McIlroy hands Bryson DeChambeau his second US Open win after collapsing on the final four holes at Pinehurst, dropping three shots in the process. By this stage, DeChambeau is very much the face of LIV Golf, whereas McIlroy remains the poster boy of the PGA Tour. When DeChambeau was unable to find McIlroy afterwards, he was told the Northern Irishman had left the course without congratulating him. The following day, McIlroy did congratulate DeChambeau in a post on Instagram, calling the American “exactly what professional golf needs right now”.

McIlroy blew up at Pinehurst to hand the US Open to DeChambeau - Jared C. Tilton/Getty ImagesDecember 2024: ‘The Showdown’

The pair meet in Las Vegas in December for “The Showdown” – a match pitting the PGA Tour against LIV Golf as McIlroy teamed up with Scottie Scheffler to take on DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. In the build-up to the contest at Shadow Creek Golf Club, the two share a joke about their rivalry. “I’d like to go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the US Open,” McIlroy says while on the range alongside DeChambeau. “Well, to be fair, you kinda did it to yourself,” DeChambeau snipes back, a retort that stings McIlroy and one that is understood to have stuck with him, having been deemed a cruel and unnecessary remark.

DeChambeau (right), pictured with Brooks Koepka, had a laugh at McIlroy’s expense, which did not go down well with the Northern Irishman - Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The ShowdownApril 2025: ‘He didn’t talk to me once’

McIlroy and DeChambeau start the final round of the Masters in first and second place, respectively. McIlroy goes on to end his agonising wait to become the first European to win all four majors, beating Justin Rose in a nailbiting play-off. The following day, DeChambeau accused McIlroy of ignoring him, saying: “He didn’t talk to me once all day.”

DeChambeau was unhappy with the silent treatment he received from McIlroy in the final round of last year’s Masters - Brian Snyder/ReutersMay 2025: ‘I’m not going to be his best mate’

Ahead of the US PGA Championship, McIlroy bit back, saying: “I don’t know what he was expecting. Like, we’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to be his best mate out there.”

July 2025: Ryder Cup trash talk

Speaking about the upcoming Ryder Cup in New York, DeChambeau tells People: “I’ll be chirping in his ear this time. Now, if we go up against each other, I mean, you can be sure of it.”

September 2025: ‘Bryson needs me to get attention’

McIlroy tells The Guardian a week before the Ryder Cup: “I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people. That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others.”

McIlroy was happy to rub Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in US faces after the abuse he received - Maddie Meyer/PGA of America via Getty Images

After Europe survive an epic American fightback to retain the Ryder Cup, McIlroy uses the European flag to cover up DeChambeau’s name on a banner during his team’s celebrations, egged on by the crowd and team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick. McIlroy had endured horrendous abuse from home fans during the competition.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”