Ben Griffin responds to Bryson DeChambeau’s comments about Rory McIlroy which caused controversy

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Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau are two of the best three players on the planet right now.

Scheffler is streets ahead of everyone else, while it could be argued that DeChambeau is on another level to Rory McIlroy right now.

And Ben Griffin has made a great point about a big difference between the two American stars.

After the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago, Scheffler actually raved about Griffin, when speaking to Jack Nicklaus.

And now the Charles Schwab Challenge champion has returned the favour.

Griffin played with Scheffler as a youngster, and they have competed alongside one another a fair few times recently as well.

The 29-year-old hasn’t had as much experience of playing with DeChambeau.

However, Griffin has pointed out a big difference between Scheffler and the LIV Golf star.

Ben Griffin responds to Bryson DeChambeau’s comments about Rory McIlroy

Back at The Masters, DeChambeau seemed to be put out that McIlroy didn’t speak to him during the final round at Augusta National.

As anyone with experience of playing elite level sport will tell you, those comments really were bizarre from the two-time US Open champion.

And now Griffin has weighed in on the situation.

Griffin has been speaking on the Fore Play Podcast ahead of the US Open at Oakmont.

He opened up on a wide range of topics, including his admiration for his good friend Scheffler.

And the two-time PGA Tour winner revealed something ‘awesome’ that the world number one did during the final round of the Memorial.

At the same time, he highlighted how DeChambeau was wide of the mark with his comments on McIlroy after The Masters.

He said, “It was cool. It was good. I’ve had some rounds where I have had some pretty big crowds and I played with Scottie in the final group on Saturday at the Players a couple of years ago and I remember feeling pretty intimidated. I was a rookie and it was my first time playing in front of a huge group of fans.

“So Memorial I think probably was the most fans I have ever had but honestly I was so focused that I did not even care that much. I was pretty engaged with the fans, but by, ‘I didn’t care’, I mean in terms of an intimidation factor.

“Being inside the ropes you know Scottie is going to hit pretty much every fairway and every green. It’s just the way his game is. But for me I did a pretty good job of focusing on myself that round and trying to give myself as many looks as possible.

“Even though he is pretty much as consistent as it gets, he is still beatable. Guys have still beaten him plenty of times.

“It’s a really cool environment. We did not talk to each other really at all, which I thought was great. Me and Scottie are pretty good friends, we talk to each other in the work out room before and in the PT room the night before.

“But during a round I think both of us were just focused on business, which I thought was awesome. I think you go back and Bryson DeChambeau got asked a question like how was the talks with Rory and he was like yeah he wouldn’t talk to me. It’s like in the final group, in every one I have been in it’s not very chatty. You are focused on trying to win a golf tournament and the moment you start getting chatty it takes away from what you are trying to do.

“So it was all business. It was a lot of good execution. Down the stretch it was really cool, we both hit some really insane shots, but most of the round was just solid back and forth, trading pars, both of us missed a short putt early which happens and then down the stretch it got really fun going back and forth with shots on 15 and 16. Ultimately I didn’t take care of 17 and got a little crazy, a little out of my element but it was a good learning experience.“

So what exactly did DeChambeau say about McIlroy?

McIlroy won The Masters in thrilling fashion, while DeChambeau succumbed to the pressure on Sunday at Augusta.

And the American wasn’t best pleased with the Northern Irishman after the round.

DeChambeau responded when asked what McIlroy was like out on the course.

“No idea. Didn’t talk to me once all day,” he said. “[The atmosphere was] was electric. I loved it. But he was just like… just being focused, I guess. It’s not me, though.”

DeChambeau was asked whether he made an effort to communicate with McIlroy, to which he added, “he wouldn’t talk to me.”

The LIV star will surely have learned his lesson after those remarks. All golfers are different, and it was very much McIlroy’s prerogative to keep himself to himself on the final day of The Masters.