The forecast at Quail Hollow ahead of the 107th PGA Championship this week is dour and sodden but Rory McIlroy has no problem with the frosty reception he gave Bryson DeChambeau during the final round of the Masters last month.
The conditions and golf course set up this week seems tailor-made for McIlroy and DeChambeau to have a trilogy of this seemingly simmering rivalry. Maybe it is personal after all.
DeChambeau got the better of McIlroy at last year’s US Open in Pinehurst and depending on what side of the fence you were on you were either elated or fit to be sick after a rollercoaster final hour.
The pair linked up for the next installation of ‘The Match’ in December where McIlroy claimed in an open mic range session that he wanted to get Bryson back for what he did to him at the US Open to which DeChambeau quipped ‘you did that to yourself.’
Events since indicate that maybe that comment had a bit more bite than we all thought it to be.
Perhaps fuelled by the memories of that fateful day last June, McIlroy adopted the silent treatment approach to DeChambeau at the Masters. One could say it worked as it was the Northern Irishman who walked away from that dramatic final round, donning a green jacket.
Quizzed on how McIlroy must have been feeling after dropping a shot on the 72nd hole to fall into a playoff with Justin Rose, DeChambeau replied: “No idea”, replied DeChambeau. “He didn’t talk to me at all.”
Asked for a reply to this at the PGA Championship press conference, McIlroy said his cold shoulder approach to the American was just business as usual.
“I don’t know what he was expecting. We’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to try to be his best mate out there,” laughed McIlroy.
“Look, everyone approaches the game different ways. Yeah, like I was focused on myself and what I needed to do. That’s really all that it was. It wasn’t anything against him or against — it’s just I felt that’s what I needed to do to try to get the best out of myself that day.”
McIlroy’s home is on the PGA TOUR while Bryson has plied his trade successfully on the LIV Golf Tour. This simmering rivalry could become the PGA TOUR vs LIV brawl that golf fans have been eager to experience.
Leave a comment