A war of words – of sorts – has begun ahead of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler’s match against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
The Showdown – which will be shown live from Shadow Creek Golf Club on TNT Sports – is the first time LIV Golf and PGA Tour players have faced off in a one-off match since the league’s inception in 2022.
McIlroy wants the world’s best players back playing together, and there’s a consensus that the current standoff needs to end.
Another storyline at this week’s match involves DeChambeau and the Northern Irishman. The Showdown will take place six months after the American’s dramatic US Open victory at Pinehurst No.2.
DeChambeau and McIlroy’s relationship appears to be okay after what happened in North Carolina; however, the American still brutally criticised McIlroy on Tuesday while the pair were practicing on the range.
Golf fans stunned at ‘savage’ Bryson DeChambeau comment
Whilst the quartet were on the range, McIlroy was asked who he’d like to face in the six-hole singles match during the unique event.
“I’d like to go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the U.S. Open,” he said. DeChambeau brutally replied: “To be fair, you kind of did it to yourself.”
The LIV Golf star’s comments have sparked quite a reaction online.
One fan wrote: “Bryson DeChambeau just put Rory McIlroy in a body bag. The year of Bryson continues.”
“Crazy burn right there, but it’s true,” another fan wrote.
This fan said: “Rory should’ve hit him with “Hey, at least that tournament counted”.
While another added: “That one had to sting.”
Why Bryson DeChambeau’s brutal comment at Rory McIlroy is true
As much as it was a humorous dig from DeChambeau, there’s an element of truth behind what he said.
If McIlroy hadn’t crumbled toward the back end of the US Open, the Northern Irishman would’ve clinched his fifth major title, and with some ease.
DeChambeau, apart from his clutch bunker shot on the 72nd hole, didn’t play particularly well during the final round and missed multiple fairways.
If McIlroy had made smarter decisions, he might have left Pinehurst with the US Open title in his hands. Furthermore, if the Northern Irishman remains winless in 2025, the events that unfolded in North Carolina could prove to be pivotal moments in his career.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
