“Bryson DeChambeau and Rory Mcilroy [sic!] will be playing together in Round 1 of the U.S. Open. The USGA loves drama.” So read the tweet from Ways To Golf. And many other X (formerly Twitter) handles claiming to have insider sources. The internet went wild and reasonably so. That pairing has its charm.

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau locked horns at Pinehurst No.2 last year. The Crushers GC captain had the last laugh as McIlroy’s unbelievable putter catastrophe pulled the curtains to an incredible late drama.

Then they were at it again. At the Masters 2025. Paired in the final group, they hogged all the limelight. Even though DeChambeau, uncharacteristically, kicked himself out of contention, verbal battles might have ensued. All was not well between the two. Gone was the mutual respect that DeChambeau showed after conquering Pinehurst, and McIlroy responded in kind by congratulating him at the Open.

DeChambeau said McIlroy didn’t talk to him during the Masters final round. A few weeks later, the Ulsterman joked, “We’re trying to win The Masters. I’m not going to try to be his best mate out there.”

So a first-round pairing of the two heavyweights had fans bursting firecrackers like it’s the Fourth of July. Well, bad news. That’s all a fantasy. Or, rumor, if you want to put it bluntly. Baseless rumors.

Joel Beall, a senior writer of Golf Digest, tweeted that it’s not going to happen. His full tweet read: “No, Rory and Bryson are not playing together on Thursday/Friday at Oakmont, despite what’s going around on Golf Twitter. Bryson likely playing traditional reigning champ pairing with US Am and Open champs.”

Per the US Open tradition, the defending champion tees off with the US Amateur Champion and the Open Champion. Last year, Wyndham Clark (2023 US Open champ), paired up with Nick Dunlap (2023 US Amateur champ) and Brian Harman (2023 Open champ).

So, it’s very likely that DeChambeau and McIlroy will play in different groups. Unless they both play well, which is far-fetched, given McIlroy’s driver situation, a third or fourth-round pairing of the LIV golfer and PGA Tour pro would be unlikely. And guess what? Both of them are suffering from the same issue.

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy’s strongest game has turned against them

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy both are suffering from their driving issue. McIlroy’s driver was deemed non-conforming at the PGA Championship. He had to tee off with a backup driver.

At the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy’s bag went under a massive overhaul. Not that it helped. Rather, the Ulsterman had one of the worst rounds of his entire career, lagging behind the field by ten strokes, finishing only four spots ahead of dead last.

After the tournament, the five-time major winner said, “Still searching for the missing piece off the tee. And, when I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me, but right now that isn’t, and that’s a concern going into next week.” McIlroy lost 2.81 strokes at the RBC Canadian Open, reaching only 13 of the 28 fairways.

DeChambeau, on the other hand, tested his new driver at the LIV Golf Virginia. “I drove it really poorly for my own standards this week, so I’m going to go work on that.”

The reigning US Open champ reached 18 of the 42 fairways at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. He averaged 321.9 yards off the tee, 17 yards short of the leader, Dean Burmester. “It’s something I’m going to work on for next week and get ready,” added the 31-year-old.

The 125th US Open at the Oakmont Country Club this Thursday, 156 players will make the trip to Pennsylvania, the last being Ryan Fox. DeChambeau will be accompanied by 13 of his LIV Golf peers. Let us know who you think has the best chance to win, down in the comments.