Rory McIlroy doesn’t like Bryson DeChambeau. And he doesn’t try to hide his disdain for the Crushers GC captain, whom he called performative and an attention seeker. DeChambeau’s infamous rules fiasco on Friday has divided the golf world, but more than the punishment, it was DeChambeau’s animated reactions and threat to withdraw that confounded everyone. Almost all top pros were asked to share their thoughts on Moving Day. Most chose to be diplomatic, with Scottie Scheffler saying he had a lot to say but he hadn’t decided how much of it he would say publicly. Rory McIlroy also had a lot to say, and he said it all in public without any hesitation.
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“I was watching it live,” McIlroy said when asked about his thoughts on the penalty. “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 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, I think we all [agreed]—it was pretty obvious why. I think there’s no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, it’s like, 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.”
However, McIlroy didn’t stop there. DeChambeau and his team headed back to the fifth hole along with officials to discuss the penalty. There, the two-time major winner had a heated discussion with the officials. His agent later said there was no certainty whether DeChambeau would tee off on Moving Day. DeChambeau went to the range, started hitting balls, and stayed there till 10.30PM local time. Players, meanwhile, had to wait for their tee times the next day because of the uncertainty. A reporter asked the Northern Irishman about that behavior, and McIlroy teared into DeChambeau.
“Late night for everyone,” he quipped at first before his tone changed. “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.”
Bryson DeChambeau was apparently made aware of McIlroy’s comments on Saturday. He was signing autographs for fans when Golfweek‘s Adam Schupak asked him about McIlroy’s comments. His response was short: “I have nothing to say.” He skipped media duties afterward. But Rory McIlroy was not the only golfer who was exasperated with DeChambeau’s reaction to the penalty.
On Friday, Marco Penge took to X and joked someone should confirm whether DeChambeau would play on Moving Day so golfers could have their tee times. On Saturday, while talking to media, the English golfer called it a “bit of a joke.” Justin Thomas also wrote on X, “Hey @TheOpen, can we get some 3rd round tee times please???”
The ruling also split public opinion. Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley criticized him while broadcasting. Chamblee specifically said that “there were multiple infractions.” Similarly, Sir Nick Faldo also said that DeChambeau “lost the plot” and made the issue about himself.
“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 [Woods] has 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,” the six-time major winner was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.
Nevertheless, these harsh comments from McIlroy don’t come as a shock. The two golfers don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, and it goes beyond the PGA Tour-LIV Golf divide. Their relationship has moved from a pure sporting rivalry into a simmering personality clash. After losing to DeChambeau at the 2024 U.S. Open, a dejected McIlroy left the premises without congratulating him. He later spoke to the LIV Golf pro. But that didn’t really settle the matter.
At the 2025 Masters, they were paired together in the final round and had a disagreement on the ninth hole about who would putt first. DeChambeau felt it was his turn, and when McIlroy disagreed, he suggested flipping a tee. McIlroy scoffed at the suggestion and said he would rather have a rules official assess and decide the matter.
The LIV Golf pro then backed down and asked McIlroy to go ahead and putt first. The Ulsterman later called it a “gamesmanship-y moment,” which you mostly see in match play. Interestingly enough, speaking to the media after the 2025 Masters, DeChambeau said McIlroy hadn’t talked to him at all on Sunday. The Northern Irishman was quizzed about it in a press conference and again mocked DeChambeau.
“I don’t know what he was expecting,” said Rory McIlroy. “Like, we’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to be his best mate out there.” Then came the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Bryson DeChambeau said that he would “chirp in [McIlroy’s] ear” at Bethpage Black. Responding to it in an interview with The Guardian, McIlroy clapped back: “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.”
He echoed similar sentiments at the Open Championship, saying that most of what DeChambeau did was to get attention. What about others? Justin Thomas didn’t speak to the media after this third round. Max Homa did and clarified that the LIV Golf pro is not a cheater and his frustration with the ruling was justified.
Past champions like Steve Elkington, Mark Calcavecchia, and Graeme McDowell questioned the decision as well. They believe there was not enough evidence to slap a two-stroke penalty on DeChambeau. But none of them spoke about DeChambeau’s late-night range session, sarcastic responses, and taking a not-so-subtle jab at the R&A through an Instagram post.
Regardless of whether it was for attention or not, the R&A chief, Mark Darbon, said it was a clear-cut decision. He noted that it would have been unjust to other pros if DeChambeau had not been penalized despite the TV footage clearly showing he trampled on the fescue near the ball.
DeChambeau shot a 1-under 69 on Moving Day. While there was support for him, some fans also called him a “cheater.” Reportedly, the LIV Golf pro went to R&A tournament offices to ask for his second-round scorecard. Mark Darbon declined the request, according to The Guardian.