McIlroy Calls DeChambeau’s Open Penalty Drama ‘Performative,’ Says Penalty Justified
4 verified4 unconfirmed
Rory McIlroy has criticized Bryson DeChambeau’s behavior during a rules dispute at the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, saying the two-shot penalty imposed on DeChambeau was justified. DeChambeau was penalized for inadvertently improving the line of his backswing on the fifth hole during the second round. The incident led to a lengthy delay as DeChambeau debated the ruling with R&A officials, which pushed back the release of Saturday’s tee times. McIlroy said the delay “held the tournament hostage” and described DeChambeau’s actions as “performative” and done for attention. DeChambeau responded on social media saying he was “disappointed” and did not agree with the decision but would use it as motivation. The R&A stated the ruling was clear-cut under the rules of golf.
What’s verified
Bryson DeChambeau received a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving the line of his backswing at the fifth hole during the second round of the Open Championship.
Rory McIlroy said the penalty was justified and that DeChambeau “held the tournament hostage” by delaying the release of Saturday’s tee times.
McIlroy stated he is not fond of DeChambeau and described his behavior as “performative” and for attention.
DeChambeau wrote on social media that he was “disappointed” and did not agree with the ruling but said it would “fire” him up for the rest of the tournament.
Not yet confirmed
A timeline of events on Friday evening, including DeChambeau’s arrival back at the course and his agent’s comment that the player would “see how he feels” before deciding to play, appears in only one source.
Specific reactions from other players such as Marco Penge calling the delay a “joke” and Justin Thomas questioning it on social media appear in only one source.
The R&A’s Grant Moir explaining that the penalty applied even when the action was accidental appears in only one source.
Whether DeChambeau threatened to withdraw from the tournament is not confirmed; the R&A chief executive declined to comment on that aspect of the discussion.
Key figures
Rory McIlroy (world number two golfer)
Bryson DeChambeau (two-time major winner, LIV Golf player)
Mark Darbon (R&A chief executive)
Grant Moir (R&A executive director of governance)
Lucas Herbert (halfway leader of the tournament)
Brett Falkoff (DeChambeau’s agent)
Marco Penge (professional golfer)
Justin Thomas (professional golfer)
Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports
