LIV golfer Lee Westwood has delivered his honest opinions on both Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau after the US Open at Oakmont.
Like DeChambeau did three years ago, Westwood made the move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, so he knows the American very well indeed.
Meanwhile, the 52-year-old is also very close with McIlroy, having been part of the same Ryder Cup team on five separate occasions.
McIlroy and DeChambeau are two of the biggest stars in the game of golf right now.
Interestingly, the Northern Irishman and the American have never really seen eye to eye.
DeChambeau criticised McIlroy at The Masters for not talking to him during the final round.
The Masters champion responded by asking DeChambeau what on earth he expected from him.
Whoever was right in that instance is up for debate, although the minority believe that McIlroy was spot on with his actions and subsequent comments on the matter.
But what does Westwood really think of both players?
Lee Westwood comments on Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau
McIlroy spoke about the prospect of missing the cut at the US Open, and candidly admitted that he didn’t care either way whether he made the weekend or not.
And Westwood responded to those comments during an appearance on talkSPORT Radio in the UK.
He said, “It’s a tough one. I can see where he is coming from but he probably will sit down today at home and think I probably dealt with that in the wrong way.
The thing is when you’re a golfer and you come off the 18th green you are very emotional and you are still thinking about it and sometimes you say stuff you might regret.“
Discussion then turned to DeChambeau, and Westwood was asked to give his honest opinion on the LIV Golf star.
“I have always got on really well with Bryson“, Westwood explained. “I played with him when he was an amateur at the Australian Open and I have played with him as a professional.
“He was going down the wrong route and getting a bad reputation with the public but he has managed to turn it around with his YouTube channel.
“He is a very personable lad. He has got a good sense of humour and he knows a lot about the game and he’s almost trying to reshape the game with the way he does things. He is very scientific and he does a lot of research and homework with it.“
One really sad thing about the McIlroy vs DeChambeau rivalry
Professional golf at the highest level is all about great rivalries.
And what makes certain rivalries especially appealing to the fans is when there is some kind of needle between the two players.
That’s exactly the case with McIlroy and DeChambeau, but there’s a major problem for golf fans.
We only get to see the two players compete alongside one another four times per year.
The governing bodies of both tours desperately need to sit down and sort something out quickly regarding a potential merger.
On paper, the McIlroy and DeChambeau rivalry has the makings of one of the best and most captivating of all time.
But the game of golf is being deprived of that right now, and that is just so unfortunate for the fans.
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