Rory McIlroy has accused Bryson DeChambeau of "holding the tournament hostage" amid the fallout from a "cheating" scandal at The Open. DeChambeau had threatened not to play his third round at Royal Birkdale after being assessed a two-shot penalty for improving his lie on the fifth hole by stomping down long grass around his ball.
DeChambeau's agent, Brett Falkoff, had not ruled out a withdrawal as the two-time major winner practiced on the driving range in darkness. DeChambeau ultimately confirmed his participation on social media after midnight, leaving other players, volunteers, and officials uncertain about tee times until late in the evening.
"Late night for everyone," McIlroy said of the situation. "I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention."
McIlroy added that DeChambeau's actions in delaying his decision were "not a great look." McIlroy, who finished his third round at two-under par, stated that the two-shot penalty for DeChambeau was justified. "Whether it was careless or whether it was intentional, I don't think it matters," McIlroy said. "Hopefully it was careless, but I think the two-shot penalty was justified for sure."
When asked if he believed DeChambeau knew he was improving his lie, McIlroy responded, "I'm not in his mind -- but it didn't look good."