Pat McAfee, an analyst for ESPN, expressed his approval of Rory McIlroy’s comments regarding Bryson DeChambeau’s performance at the British Open.
On Monday, McAfee mentioned that he appreciated the “amount of comfort” McIlroy displayed when sharing his honest thoughts about DeChambeau during a media session.
“I like that [Rory McIlroy] just stood there and said, ‘I’ll tell you how I feel.’ I can’t stand that guy,” McAfee remarked on “The Pat McAfee Show,” noting that such candidness is rare these days.
McAfee pointed out that while this kind of honesty is expected from Northern Irish people, they still often choose to speak their minds.
He referred specifically to McIlroy’s reaction when DeChambeau felt he was being “held hostage” at the Open after receiving a two-stroke penalty for stepping on long grass to alter his swing path.
DeChambeau contested the penalty, sought to leave the area of the incident, and spent time arguing and demonstrating his case to rules officials.
Scores from Friday’s round were delayed until late that night, and reports indicated that DeChambeau even threatened to involve President Donald Trump in the situation.
“It’s a late night for everyone,” McIlroy commented. “I’m not here to defend Bryson. Honestly, I’m not a fan of his. I think a lot of it seems performative, like he’s seeking attention.”
He added that it wasn’t a great scene having the tournament paused for DeChambeau, leaving players and volunteers waiting for him to exit.
McIlroy noted that he and several other golfers witnessed the incident live and agreed that DeChambeau’s actions were inappropriate at that moment.
While acknowledging that DeChambeau has improved his backswing, the 2026 Masters winner hoped it wasn’t intentional and stated, “I hope I was careless, but I do think the penalty was justified.”
This incident was significant in affecting the tournament’s outcome, with DeChambeau slipping from 7-under par to 5-under, dropping from tied for 6th to tied for 14th place.
In contrast, McIlroy wrapped up the tournament at 1 under, finishing in a tie for 40th place.
He remarked that the PGA Tour and FedEx Cup no longer generate the same level of excitement for him, and he declared he wouldn’t compete again until the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
