Rory McIlroy Slams Bryson DeChambeau at The Open 2026

McIlroy’s furious reaction

After his third‑round round at Royal Birkdale, McIlroy made it clear he was not impressed by how Bryson DeChambeau handled a two‑stroke penalty the day before. He watched the disputed shot on the fifth hole from the players’ lounge during Round 2 and said the moment DeChambeau stepped toward the ball, “we all sort of looked at each other and were like, ‘That didn’t seem right.’” The umpire later called DeChambeau in, and the crowd could see why.

McIlroy felt certain DeChambeau had altered his lie when he “stomped on the grass” while preparing to play the ball. The incident set off a nearly hour‑long review that sent DeChambeau back to the spot and into the tent off the 18th green. In the end officials ruled that DeChambeau unintentionally improved his lie, a breach of Rule 8.1.

Penalty fallout and tournament delay

When the decision was announced, DeChambeau left to hit balls on the range late into the night, reportedly threatening to pull out of the tournament if the penalty stood. The resulting delay kept the tee times hidden until about 11 p.m. local time, prompting complaints from players such as Justin Thomas, who pleaded on social media for an early release so golfers could rest.

McIlroy called the hold‑up a hostage situation. “I’m not particularly fond of him,” he said, “and to hold the tournament hostage like that… I didn’t feel like it was a great look.” The two‑time U.S. Open champion has a long‑standing rivalry with DeChambeau, which widened into the PGA Tour versus LIV Golf split in 2022. DeChambeau beat McIlroy at the 2024 U.S. Open, and McIlroy returned the favor in the final pairing at the 2025 Masters.

The penalty dropped DeChambeau to 5 under for the event. He paired with Sam Burns at 3:30 p.m. local time and was even par through 13 holes. McIlroy posted a 1‑under 69 in the third round, leaving him two strokes under heading into the final day.

How to watch The Open 2026

• Saturday, July 18: USA Network (5–7 a.m.) | NBC (7 a.m.–3 p.m.)
• Sunday, July 19: USA Network (4–7 a.m.) | NBC (7 a.m.–2 p.m.)

Rounds 3 and 4 begin on USA at 5 a.m. on July 18 and 4 a.m. on July 19, before moving to NBC at 7 a.m. each day. Featured groups and hole streaming are available on Peacock throughout the tournament.