Rory McIlroy disagrees with Bryson DeChambeau over potential Olympic change which would benefit LIV Golfers

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Rory McIlroy has disagreed with a suggestion previously made by Bryson DeChambeau on the eve of the Paris Olympic event.

The Northern Irishman is looking to bounce back from his 2021 Toyko heartbreak, where he finished in an agonising tie for fourth.

McIlroy was spotted at St Andrews on Monday but is now at Le Golf National, preparing to represent Ireland alongside Shane Lowry.

DeChambeau, however, won’t be in Paris after failing to make the USA Team. A star-stacked American contingent has travelled ahead of the men’s and women’s events.

Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are all ranked higher than the 2024 US Open champion, meaning he must contend with a watching berth.

Rory McIlroy disagrees with Olympic qualifying suggestion

Speaking before LIV Golf UK last week, DeChambeau appeared to suggest a qualifying event could be the route forward ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics.

McIlroy, however, disagrees.

“I mean, I don’t think there’s any other way to do it because it’s hard to compare the golf that they play to the golf that we play,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference. “That’s the reason they didn’t get World Ranking points, right?”

The Northern Irishman went on to take a slight dig at those who opted to switch to LIV Golf.

“So if you want to qualify for the Olympics, you knew what you had to do,” McIlroy added. “Just like if you wanted to qualify for the Ryder Cup, you knew what you had to do. They were very aware of the decisions they made when they did.”

OWGR issue should be sorted by the 2028 games

There will be hope from all concerned that the lack of OWGR points in the LIV Golf League will be resolved relatively soon.

DeChambeau’s absence is just another example of the current divide within the game, with several world-class players suffering due to the breakaway league’s lack of recognition.

It’s not just the Olympics; major championship participation will soon be a big issue for several LIV Golf stars.

Patrick Reed, for example, has only featured in two majors this year. The Texan’s OWGR has taken such a hit that his future participation in the four biggest tournaments is under serious threat.