“Didn’t talk to me once all day,” claimed Bryson DeChambeau as he accused Rory McIlroy of ignoring him in the final round of the 2025 Masters Tournament. The two were paired together for the last 18 holes after finishing first & second at the end of three rounds. They had already shared a heated rivalry that dated back to the 2024 U.S. Open. So when DeChambeau made this statement, he drove a bit of the attention away from McIlroy’s big win. However, Marco Penge clarified that the Irishman is nothing like that.

During their battle at Yas Links Golf Course for the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the broadcasters shared a picture of Penge & McIlroy from 2009. The duo is 9 years apart, so while Rors was still 20 years old in the picture, the Englishman was only 11. And that brought back memories for the young golfer, who is following the Irishman’s footsteps and going to the PGA Tour next season.

When asked about his experience playing with McIlroy, Penge told the reporters, “It’s been great. Obviously, it’s tough when you’re both trying to beat each other. So I didn’t want to get in the way too much or ask too many questions. But he definitely gave me a lot of time, and it was nice to walk the fairways with him and hopefully spend some more time with him in the future and learn a couple of tricks.”

Like DeChambeau, Penge was also paired with Rory McIlroy & Tyrrell Hatton in the first couple of rounds of the DP World Tour playoff event. The trio seemed to have had a lot of fun playing together. They certainly seem to be getting along well, despite Rory’s strong opinion about LIV Golf. In fact, they were also seen having a huge laugh together on the 11th tee on Thursday as if they were really close friends. McIlroy clearly doesn’t hold any grudges against Penge or Hatton.

Then what made Rory McIlroy act so differently with Bryson DeChambeau at Augusta National? Let’s explore his dynamic with all three individuals to understand the difference in his reactions.

What makes Rory McIlroy act differently with Tyrrell Hatton, Marco Penge, & Bryson DeChambeau?

We will start with Tyrrell Hatton since he’s the easiest puzzle to solve. Rory McIlroy & Tyrrell Hatton may have differences because of the Tour they represent. As we know, the Irishman has often spoken against LIV Golf, while the 34-year-old strongly supports the league he plays in. Despite that, the common factor that bonds them is their Ryder Cup connection. The two have consistently proven to be vital for Team Europe in the prestigious event. They share a lot of mutual respect despite the differences.

In the case of Marco Penge, he’s a future star of the Ryder Cup. He has proven himself to be exceptional in 2025, and he continues to grow as a player. Moreover, his move to reject LIV Golf in favor of the PGA Tour must have won over McIlroy. There is no reason for Rory not to like or interact with him.

But the entire situation surrounding Bryson DeChambeau was complicated. It was the final round of the Masters Tournament, a title McIlroy had been yearning for for 14 years. Even he had admitted that he was focused on his game more than worrying about interacting with his playing partner. Then comes the fact that the Irishman has always stated that he’s not a fan of content creators, something that is a big part of DeChambeau’s life. Top that off with the fact that he also plays for LIV Golf.

Despite all that, Claire Rogers even shared visual evidence of Rory McIlroy approaching Bryson DeChambeau on the course to debunk the latter’s claims. That proved that he didn’t actually ignore the LIV Golf pro in the final round. So Marco Penge really didn’t need to prove anything in the end.