Bryson DeChambeau has emerged as an in-form player looking to prevent Rory McIlroy from successfully defending his Masters title, the man who “helped” end his Grand Slam glory run last year.
DeChambeau has won his past two starts in the LIV Golf League and is one of the favorites to challenge for his third major title this week, 12 months after losing a final-round duel to McIlroy at Augusta National.
McIlroy blew a two-shot lead on Sunday’s roller-coaster first hole, where DeChambeau briefly moved to the top of the leaderboard, but finished tied for fifth after a final-round 75.
Rory McIlroy played with Bryson DeChambeau in the final round of the Masters last April.
DeChambeau wrested the U.S. Open title from McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2 in June of the previous year, and mocked McIlroy’s collapse in the final round before “The Match” showdown later that year, saying, “You kind of did that to yourself.”
McIlroy responded by playing alongside McIlroy on the final day, ending an 11-year wait for a fifth major title at the Masters. Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes the rivalry between the two sides was a positive factor in completing their Grand Slam success.
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“There’s no doubt that playing Bryson (DeChambeau) in the final round last year helped them more than it hurt Bryson (DeChambeau),” McGinley said on a media call ahead of the Masters, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday.
“The reason it helped them was because Bryson disrespected them when they did a made-for-TV event in the desert six months ago. He (DeChambeau) made a smart comment about Lowry failing at the U.S. Open for Bryson to win.”
“That’s been documented and that’s what he did in terms of forcing Lowry to focus and winning a Grand Slam. Bryson really did him a favor because he forced him to focus. He let him down and got him (McIlroy) in the mindset he needed.”
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“If he could bring that intensity to every tournament he played, he’d be Tiger Woods, but that’s not Raleigh and never has been. He doesn’t have the ability to bring that to the table every time.”
“That makes him incredibly charismatic and very dangerous as a golfer. When he shows up with the right mindset, we all know he has talent.”
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Bryson DeChambeau claimed Rory McIlroy didn’t speak to him at all during his final round victory at the Masters.
After last year’s final round, DeChambeau said the world No. 2 player “didn’t talk to me once all day,” but McIlroy later dismissed that remark, claiming that DeChambeau had suggested they “tee it up” on the par-4 ninth green to decide who would play first.
“No, I think this is the final round of the Masters. This is not a match that’s going to be played sometime on Tuesday afternoon,” McIlroy said in a clip promoting the documentary “Rory McIlroy: The Master’s Weight” released on Prime Video.
“I wasn’t going to cower in that situation. I was just going to stand firm. So I said, ‘There’s a referee right over there, why don’t you call him over and let him take the time?’ And he said, “No, it’s okay, you can go anyway.” I don’t care.’
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“That felt like a really big moment. I was so proud of myself for standing my ground.”
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DeChambeau has finished in the top 10 in six of the last eight majors, finishing runner-up in back-to-back years at the PGA Championship and finishing sixth or better in the last two at Augusta National.
The two-time U.S. Open champion has won the last two tournaments, defeating Richard T. Lee in a playoff in Singapore and then beating Rahm in sudden death in South Africa, and is second in the LIV Golf League individual standings this season behind Jon Rahm.
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“I think he’s trending toward (a big win),” McGinley added. “If you look at Bryson’s performance in the last couple of major championships, as successful as he has been, his iron play has been pretty poor.
“You need really strong iron play first and foremost (around Augusta). It’ll be interesting to see where his iron play is, but certainly last year he was one of the worst-performing iron players in this field, but to still finish in the top five shows how good the rest of his game is.”
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“His chipping and especially his putting was great last year, and his driving has always been good, but he’s got to be better with the irons to win. That’s the differentiator. He’s going to get punished badly with wayward iron shots, so that’s going to be key for him.”
“I think all the LIV guys have shoulder injuries, but that’s not a bad thing as a competitor. So you won’t see some of them galloping up and having a good week. Bryson and Jon (Rahm) really look like two guys at their peak and full of confidence.”
McIlroy arrived hoping to become the fourth player in history to successfully defend the green jacket, and the first since Tiger Woods, but he was forced to withdraw from last month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational due to injury and subsequently struggled in his title defense at The Players.
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“To be honest, I don’t think[McIlroy’s fight]is going to be good,” McGinley admitted. “I don’t think he’s as ready as he was this time last year with his wins at The Players and Pebble Beach (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am).
“Obviously the injury has derailed him a little bit. It’s going to be very difficult to defend around Augusta, as it always has been. Lowry’s focus will be tested because of the defending champions.”
“There’s a lot of work to do as a defending champion. It’s a good problem to have and I think he’s happy about it, but I don’t know if it’s going to push him to perform at the top level.”
Who will win the Masters? Watch the opening match of this year’s Major live exclusively on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the first round will begin on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Thursday. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
