Rory McIlroy has accused Bryson DeChambeau of holding the Open Championship “hostage” in the course of the dramatic scenes at Royal Birkdale on Friday night.
DeChambeau was penalised two strokes for “inadvertently enhancing his lie” earlier than hitting his second shot on the fifth in the course of the second spherical.
The 2-time US Open champion was concerned in heated and prolonged discussions with R&A guidelines officers earlier than the penalty was imposed, dropping him from one off the result in three again, at 5 below par for the match.
“I believe there isn’t any doubt that he improved the road of his backswing,” mentioned world quantity two McIlroy, who was crushed to the 2024 US Open title by DeChambeau.
“Whether or not it was careless or whether or not it was intentional, I do not suppose it issues. Hopefully it was careless, however I believe the two-shot penalty was justified for certain.”
The scenes involving DeChambeau and match officers, once they returned to the scene of the infraction after the spherical, delayed the discharge of Saturday’s tee occasions.
“[It was a] late night time for everybody,” added McIlroy who’s at two below par for the championship, eight pictures off the the lead held by Sam Burns.
“I will not fake to defend Bryson. I am not notably keen on him. I believe lots of it is performative. I believe lots of it is for consideration.
“To carry the match hostage like that, and to have all of us, gamers, volunteers, everybody ready on him to depart, I did not really feel prefer it was a fantastic look.”
