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Rory McIlroy pulled off one of his biggest shots of the day Saturday at The Open during a press conference.
McIlroy, 37, eased the burden on Bryson DeChambeau when asked about his behavior on Friday after the 32-year-old was assessed a two-stroke penalty after a long and tense interaction with officials after the round.
“I’m not going to pretend I’m up here defending Bryson,” McIlroy told reporters after shooting a 1-under 69 in the third round. “I don’t like him very much. I think a lot is being played. I think there is a lot to pay attention to.”
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(Left) Rory McIlroy watches his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. July 17, 2026. (Right) Bryson DeChambeau watches the first green during the first round of the US Open golf tournament in Southampton, New York, on June 18, 2026. (Photos by Bill Streicher/Imagn; Photos by Bill Streicher/Imagn)
“To hold a tournament like that,” McIlroy continued, “and to have all of us — the players, the volunteers, everybody — waiting for him to go, I didn’t feel like it was a good look.”
The two-time Masters champion said he had no doubt DeChambeau had improved his backhand; and that his actions “seemed wrong.”
“I think there’s no doubt he’s improved his backhand,” McIlroy said. “And, it’s like, whether it was reckless or intentional, I don’t think it matters. I hope it was reckless, but I think the two-shot penalty was appropriate, for sure.”
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 7th hole during the third day of the British Open golf tournament at Royal Birkdale golf club in Southport, England, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Peter Morrison/AP)
Other golfers were less sympathetic to DeChambeau, as former Open champion Xander Schauffele called the situation unfortunate.
He said he didn’t do it on purpose, and it’s unfortunate that he was punished because he was playing amazingly well and it’s clear that he’s still playing amazingly,” said Schauffele, “so it’s obvious that he has something to prove in the next two days.
DeChambeau answered the two-stroke penalty with a strong third round, as he went 1-under par to finish the day at 6-under for the tournament. He is four shots behind Sam Burns, who leads the tournament at 10-under after shooting 5-under par on Saturday.
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Bryson DeChambeau of the United States talks to the rules office before teeing off on the 18th hole during the third day of the British Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Peter Morrison/AP)
If DeChambeau falls within two strokes of Sunday’s winner, talk about his two-stroke penalty won’t end anytime soon.
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McIlroy is tied for 30th at 2-under par for the tournament, and will need a great round and a lot of help to get into contention on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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