Rory McIlroy calls out Bryson DeChambeau British Open behavior: 'I think a lot of it is for attention'

Bryson DeChambeau added a bit of drama to the 2026 British Open on Friday.

Being hit with a two-stroke penalty for "inadvertently improving" his lie before a shot in the major, DeChambeau pleaded his case to officials in heated discussions, which resulted in a delayed announcement for Saturday's tee times and speculation that DeChambeau may even drop out of the tournament.

While DeChambeau did continue playing on Saturday, he appeared to have ruffled the feathers of another well-known star: Rory McIlroy. Asked about DeChambeau's penalty controversy, McIlroy bluntly expressed his disdain for the LIV star and his antics.

Here's what McIlroy said about DeChambeau at the 2026 British Open.

MORE: Live updates from the 2026 British Open

Rory McIlroy calls out Bryson DeChambeau British Open behavior

On Saturday, McIlroy addressed DeChambeau's penalty controversy and the way he reacted afterward. He said he was watching live from the players lounge during DeChambeau's incident with officials.

"As soon as he made the step into the ball, we all sort of looked at each other, and we were like, 'That didn't seem right,'" McIlroy said Saturday. "Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, I think it was pretty obvious for why."

McIlroy also made it clear that he thought the two-stroke penalty was the correct response from officials.

"Yeah, I think there's no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing," McIlroy said. "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."

McIlroy also took things a step further by saying he's "not particularly fond" of DeChambeau and "I think a lot of it's performative."

"I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson," McIlroy said. "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."

MORE: Everything to know about Bryson DeChambeau's penalty controversy 

What did Bryson DeChambeau do?

DeChambeau was hit with a two-stroke penalty on Friday after his round for his actions on his second shot on the fifth hole, with the golfer needing to escape the fescue on the right side. In that process, he appeared to trample the grass near his lie, which could have improved it. 

Any attempt to improve a lie, whether intentional or not, is against the rules, and Grant Moir, Chief Referee at The Open, told the media that DeChambeau was penalized for "inadvertantly improving the area of his intended swing."

After his penalty announcement, DeChambeau was seen livid talking with rules officials, pleading his case to no avail and speculated to say something along the lines of "I'm not playing tomorrow."

Later on, DeChambeau posted on X that he was "disappointed with the ruling" but would continue playing in the tournament. He dropped from sole possession of second place to tied for fifth.

Rory McIlroy-Bryson DeChambeau beef history

McIlroy and DeChambeau certainly haven't ever been considered friends, though they haven't ever had direct "beef" either. McIlroy is known to have disdain for golfers who departed the PGA Tour for LIV Golf a few years ago.

Per The Athletic, when the two were paired together for a round at the 2025 Masters, where McIlroy finally emerged victorious, DeChambeau said McIlroy never spoke a word to him.

“I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a beef,” DeChambeau told a fan of his relationship with McIlroy, per The Athletic. “Do I like everything he does all the time? No. I’m sure he doesn’t like all the things I do, right? We’re professionals, we’re competitive. … But I respect him as a golfer.”

There's been other on-the-greens crossovers between the two as well, including McIlroy's collapse at the 2024 US Open, allowing DeChambeau to get back in it and win.

"Do I respect him as an individual? 100 percent. Do I want to beat him every time I see him? Absolutely. There's no question about it," DeChambeau previously said of McIlroy, per Yahoo. "I got him at Pinehurst, he got me here, and I hope there's more of those to come because it's great for the game."

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