Sport: Golf Country: England Category: Scores & Results

McIlroy weighs in on DeChambeau's penalty at The Open

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 18, 2026, 4:35 PM

Last updated Jul 18, 2026

McIlroy weighs in on DeChambeau's penalty at The Open

Summary

Rory McIlroy discussed Bryson DeChambeau's two-stroke penalty during the third round of The Open at Royal Birkdale on July 18. The R&A ruled that DeChambeau violated Rule 8.1 for inadvertently improving his backswing line, leading to controversy among players. McIlroy expressed that the ruling was justified, stating there's no doubt DeChambeau improved his swing path, while Max Homa offered a differing opinion, defending DeChambeau's integrity. DeChambeau's penalty altered his second-round score from 66 to 68, putting him three shots off the lead entering the final round.

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By the Numbers

•Rory McIlroy commented on Bryson DeChambeau's penalty during The Open.
•The R&A penalized DeChambeau for improving his backswing line.
•McIlroy felt the penalty was justified, regardless of intent.
•Max Homa supported DeChambeau, questioning the ruling's fairness.
•DeChambeau's score was adjusted from 66 to 68 due to the penalty.

Latest Updates

3:56 PMYahoo Sports — Rory McIlroy Comments On Bryson DeChambeau As Performative At The Open
4:51 PMBBC Sport — 'Penalty was justified' - McIlroy on DeChambeau infringement
4:35 PMYahoo Sports — Rory McIlroy: 'No doubt' Bryson DeChambeau improved swing-path line; penalty 'justified for sure'

What they're saying

"
Rory McIlroy says the consensus among the players competing at the 2026 Open Championship is that the two-shot penalty given to Bryson DeChambeau for a rule infringement in the second round was "justified".
— BBC Sport