Rory McIlroy has criticized Bryson DeChambeau for his conduct during a controversial rules dispute at the 2026 Open Championship, saying the incident unnecessarily delayed the tournament and affected everyone involved.
The 2026 Masters winner made the comments after DeChambeau received a two-shot penalty following his second round at Royal Birkdale. McIlroy said the R&A made the correct decision and questioned the way DeChambeau handled the situation after leaving the course.
The latest exchange adds another chapter to the long-running tension between the two stars, whose relationship has remained strained since DeChambeau joined LIV Golf.
McIlroy Backs R&A Decision After DeChambeau Penalty
DeChambeau looked to have put himself firmly in contention after shooting what appeared to be a four-under 66 in the second round. His score moved him within one shot of the halfway lead at Royal Birkdale.
However, R&A officials reviewed an incident from the par-4 fifth hole. They ruled that DeChambeau had improved the area of his intended backswing while standing in thick rough before playing his second shot.
🚨🗣️⛳️ #HELD HOSTAGE — Rory McIlroy just SLAMMED LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau for his actions yesterday, calling him “performative”, and accused him of holding the tournament hostage, adding that he’s “not particularly fond” of the golfer.
“Yeah, look, I won’t pretend… pic.twitter.com/EuXVVupBG1
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 18, 2026
The ruling resulted in a two-shot penalty, changing his round from 66 to 68. Instead of sitting one shot behind leader Lucas Herbert, DeChambeau dropped to five under par, three shots off the lead and tied for fifth place.
After completing his round, DeChambeau returned to the fifth hole with rules officials to review the incident. He continued to challenge the decision, and the final ruling was not confirmed until about 80 minutes after he finished. The delay also pushed back the release of the third-round tee times.
McIlroy Says DeChambeau Went Too Far
Speaking after his third round on Saturday, McIlroy said he believed the penalty was fully justified. He revealed that he noticed the incident while watching the television coverage and immediately thought DeChambeau had broken the rule.
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McIlroy also made it clear that he was not going to defend his fellow major champion. According to a post by Bryson Legion on X, he added that much of DeChambeau’s behavior felt “performative” and accused him of “holding the tournament hostage.”
“Yeah, look, 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…”
“Yeah, 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…”
Meanwhile, DeChambeau later posted on social media that he was disappointed with the ruling and said he did not agree with the decision. Despite the setback, the two-time U.S. Open champion remained in contention heading into the weekend after making his first cut in a major championship this season.
Main Photo Credit: © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
