Rory McIlroy has openly criticised Bryson DeChambeau, accusing him of holding the Open Championship “hostage” following a rules infringement during the second round at Royal Birkdale. DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty for what officials deemed to be an inadvertent improvement of his lie before hitting his second shot on the fifth hole.
The incident led to lengthy discussions between DeChambeau and R&A rules officials, delaying the release of Saturday’s tee times. McIlroy, who finished the third round at two under par, eight shots behind leader Sam Burns, expressed his disapproval of DeChambeau’s actions.
Penalty and Player Reactions
DeChambeau’s penalty dropped him from one shot off the lead to three shots back, placing him at five under par for the tournament. McIlroy, the world number two, stated, “I think there’s no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. 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 controversy unfolded on Friday evening when DeChambeau was seen revisiting the fifth hole with officials to discuss the alleged infringement. He was accused of improving his swing path by treading down long grass near his ball. The sanction was confirmed after these discussions.
McIlroy did not hold back in his assessment of DeChambeau, stating, “I won’t pretend to 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.” He added, “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.”
World number one Scottie Scheffler also indicated he had thoughts on the incident but chose not to comment publicly during the tournament, stating he was focused on his game. Burns, who played with DeChambeau in the third round, mentioned he felt bad for DeChambeau and suggested there might not have been enough evidence for the penalty.
The delay in tee times affected other players, including Marco Penge and Justin Thomas, who voiced their frustrations. Penge described the situation as “a bit of a joke” due to the late announcement of tee times, which impacted his preparation.
Official Stance and DeChambeau’s Response
R&A chief executive Mark Darbon affirmed that the decision to penalise DeChambeau was “clear-cut” from a rules perspective. Darbon acknowledged the emotional nature of the discussions with DeChambeau but declined to elaborate on whether DeChambeau threatened to withdraw from the tournament, opting to keep some aspects of the conversation private.
Despite the penalty, DeChambeau took to social media to express his feelings, writing on his X account, “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.” He also posted doctored images on Instagram showing him levitating above the rough at Birkdale.
DeChambeau declined post-round interviews on Friday night and also skipped media interactions after his third round. After completing his third round, DeChambeau reportedly visited the R&A tournament offices, where he requested his physical scorecard from day two, a request Darbon politely declined.
While some players were critical, DeChambeau did receive support from his compatriot Max Homa, who stated, “I only saw one angle and in my opinion I didn’t agree with the ruling. I’ve known Bryson for a very long time and he’s an interesting human at times, but I know he would never cheat the game of golf.” Despite the controversy, DeChambeau confirmed shortly after midnight on Friday that he intended to play in round three.
The incident, which saw DeChambeau involved in animated discussions with officials, caused significant disruption, delaying the release of Saturday’s tee times until around 11 pm.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
As Latest News UK's Sports Reporter, Hannah Whitfield reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name covering the county circuit and Team GB at two Commonwealth Games. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from Loughborough University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Hannah lives in Bristol, where she plays club tennis and coaches a junior side. “Sport is at its best when you let the athletes tell the story.”