Bryson DeChambeau endured taunts of "McIlroy, McIlroy, Rory McIlroy" from fans at Royal Birkdale as his challenge for the Claret Jug faltered during the final round of the Open Championship on Sunday. The incident occurred after DeChambeau, who had been penalized two shots for stomping near his ball in a previous round, lost his ball on the 11th hole.
The crowd's chants echoed comments made by Rory McIlroy, who had previously accused DeChambeau of "holding the tournament ransom" after threatening to withdraw over the penalty. The sentiment from the gallery was palpable from the outset of DeChambeau's final round, with one spectator humorously offering, "Rory's going to buy you a pint after!"
DeChambeau's round began steadily with eight consecutive pars, but his challenge unraveled on the 11th. After pulling his tee shot, his second shot advanced only a short distance. His third shot landed deep in the rough, where his ball could not be found. This led to him returning to the original spot to hit another ball, resulting in a triple bogey on the hole. A subsequent pair of birdies did little to salvage his finish.
DeChambeau concluded the tournament with a final-round 72, bringing his total to four under par. This placed him tied for 14th. Without the two-shot penalty, his performance would have tied him for sixth place. This year, DeChambeau has missed the cut in the other three major championships.
Following DeChambeau's penalty in the third round, McIlroy had stated, "I'm not in his mind -- but it didn't look good." World number one Scottie Scheffler offered a different perspective, defending DeChambeau by saying, "He's a lot of things, but he's definitely not a cheater."
DeChambeau declined to participate in post-round interviews but briefly acknowledged a small group of fans and a reporter outside the media center, thanking them and posing for photographs. His assessment of the week is expected to be shared on his YouTube channel.