Rory McIlroy Backs Two-Stroke Penalty on Bryson DeChambeau at 2026 Open Rory McIlroy publicly endorsed the two-stroke penalty imposed on Bryson DeChambeau for altering his swing path during the second round of the 2026 Open, calling the decision justified despite the controversy surrounding the ruling. Speaking after his third-round performance, the Northern Irishman described the moment as one of disbelief, emphasizing that the action was clearly visible to fellow players and officials. McIlroy recounted watching the incident live from the players’ lounge, where he and others reacted with confusion as DeChambeau stepped into his ball on the fescue-covered No. 5 hole. “As soon as he made the step into the ball, we all sort of looked at each other, and we were like, ‘that didn’t seem right,’” he said. DeChambeau, who had previously pleaded his case with R&A rules officials after the round, was visibly frustrated by the ruling. The penalty, which reduced his score from 7 under par to 5 under, pushed him out of contention for the final group in the third round. Despite the setback, the two-time U.S. Open champion remained committed to the tournament, spending the evening on the driving range and offering snacks to media members who stayed to cover the event. His social media posts later confirmed his intention to compete through the weekend, though he faced criticism for holding the tournament hostage by threatening to withdraw. McIlroy, while not defending DeChambeau’s actions, acknowledged the broader debate about rule enforcement in golf. He criticized the player’s behavior as performative, suggesting that much of the attention DeChambeau garnered was for show rather than genuine competition. “I think a lot of it’s performative,” McIlroy said.#rory_mcilroy #bryson_dechambeau #r_a #2026_open #players_lounge
