The war of words is still ongoing between Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. The two have been exchanging blows ever since their battle at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024. They had another tussle at Augusta National that left a bitter taste in the LIV Golf pro’s mouth. And now that a possible third match between them is lining up, DeChambeau has shared his thoughts about his rival from across the Atlantic.

Bryson sat down for an interview a day prior to the 2025 Ryder Cup. To close the press conference, he was asked to share his thoughts about his rivalry with Rory. DeChambeau told the reporter, “I think rivalries are good for the game of golf, and albeit I have the ultimate respect for Rory as a player. It’s going to be fun to go up against him this week, whether it’s against him directly or through other players. I think it’s going to be a fun challenge this week.”

With 29 PGA Tour wins to his name, 5 major titles, and a career Grand Slam, Rory McIlroy has certainly achieved enough to earn the respect of his rivals. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that Bryson DeChambeau is excited to play against him. However, judging by his statement, it seems that Keegan Bradley has still not revealed who he will be playing against during the three days of the Ryder Cup.

But if DeChambeau was given the option to choose, then he knows what he wants: “Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. It would be a lot of fun. Is it going to happen? It’s not likely. I mean, maybe once. You never know. I don’t know if there’s planning behind the scenes or whatnot. But look, he’s a fierce competitor, a great competitor, but one that I would love the opportunity to play against this week.”

Once again, the Crushers GC captain confirmed that he is not aware that the Team U.S. captain is planning to pit him against the Irishman. However, if Bradley does ask DeChambeau about it, then he agreed that he wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity. Interestingly, the two have never faced each other in either of the Ryder Cups Bryson has played so far. So if it does happen in 2025, then it will be a first in history.

However, when it coems to Rory, does he also look forward to it? Well, when one of the reporters asked him if he had a message for DeChambeau as they are preparing to battle it out a few hours later. McIlroy told the journalist, “I promised Luke I would only talk about the European Team today. I’m going to stick to it.”

So, having said that, some reports suggest that fans might get to see the Rory McIlroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau battle much sooner than expected. And it will also be in a very surprising match format.

Are Bryson DeChambeau & Rory McIlroy expected to face off soon?

Bryson DeChambeau has been under scrutiny for the past few days for one simple reason: his incompatibility with his Team U.S. mates. No one in the squad uses the same golf ball as the LIV Golf pro. That puts him and Keegan Bradley in a very difficult position when it comes to alternate shot matches. Hence, Rex Hoggard advised Bradley to bench DeChambeau for foursomes to ensure the American side has the best shot at gaining the most points.

However, Data Golf shared possible mock pairings for the Friday Foursomes just a few minutes ago. And they gave Bryson his first alternate shots match in his third Ryder Cup. They paired him with Ben Griffin for the opening foursomes match of the day against Tommy Fleetwood & Rory McIlroy. The European pairing has a strong record together over the last few Ryder Cups. So it will be a huge challenge for Bryson DeChambeau and Ben Griffin if Keegan Bradley does decide to put them on the field to open the Ryder Cup.