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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Rory McIlroy didn't hold back on his dislike of Bryson DeChambeau after being asked about the LIV Golf star's penalty controversy that took over Friday's second round at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty on the fifth hole, after the R&A said he improved the area of his backswing before taking his second shot in an area with tall fescue. That ultimately made what was initially scored as a bogey into a triple bogey, and hurt DeChambeau's standing on the leaderboard.
"I think there's no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. And 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 said during his media session after the second round.
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More news: Bryson DeChambeau Sends Message on The Open After Controversial Penalty
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DeChambeau's heated conversation and argument with officials at the scene of the incident also created an issue with players receiving their weekend tee times. McIlroy called it a "late night for everyone" due to that.
"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," McIlroy told reporters of the dramatic scene.
"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," he said.
McIlroy is no stranger to offering his thoughts on other golfers or hot topics related to DeChambeau. He previously weighed in on LIV Golf, for which DeChambeau is one of the stars, potentially heading towards a collapse due to a lack of financing.
The 37-year-old won his second-straight Masters Tournament this year, after achieving his career grand slam in golf last year. McIlroy won The Open at Royal Liverpool in 2014, so he's over 10 years removed from conquering the event.
DeChambeau won the event much more recently in 2020 and 2024, and had moved close to the top of this year's leaderboard.
At the end of the second round, DeChambeau had fallen into a three-way tie for fifth place with Si Woo Kim and Sam Burns. McIlroy made the cut for the weekend but was further down the leaderboard, suggesting he had quite a bit of work to do if he wanted to move closer to the leader, Australian Lucas Herbert.
More news: Bryson DeChambeau’s Open Status in Doubt After Controversial Penalty
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