McIlroy criticises DeChambeau's conduct after penalty at British Open

Rory McIlroy said Bryson DeChambeau's conduct during a post-round dispute with officials at the British Open was unnecessary and disrupted the tournament schedule. The American was penalised two strokes after officials determined he had unintentionally improved the line of his backswing on the fifth hole, prompting a lengthy exchange that delayed Saturday tee times.

"I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it is performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention," McIlroy told reporters after posting a 1-under 69 in the third round.

"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 added, noting that the incident appeared to give DeChambeau an unfair advantage.

McIlroy also said he believed the penalty was justified, regardless of whether the infraction was accidental or deliberate. Other competitors responded more diplomatically. English golfer Marco Penge said he would be careful about his stance to avoid improving his lie, and former Open champion Xander Schauffele suggested DeChambeau might have been given the benefit of the doubt, noting the penalty came as the American was playing well.

The controversy highlighted the challenges of enforcing rules in real time and its impact on tournament logistics.