Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy trade jabs in Vegas ahead of historic $10million Crypto Showdown
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy have already started the trash talk ahead of their confrontation.
PGA Tour stars McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will face DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, both of whom play on the LIV Golf Circuit, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
The matchup, which features a $10 million cryptocurrency prize pool, is being billed as an unofficial LIV versus PGA Tour clash.
For McIlroy, however, the rivalry deepens to a slightly more personal level after this year’s US Open.
The Northern Irishman imploded over the final few holes of the major championship at Pinehurst, with DeChambeau ultimately sealing his second major title.
And the pair couldn’t resist exchanging a few comments during the final round while at the driving range on Monday.
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy (L) started the trash talk prior to their confrontation
McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will battle DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka
“I’d like to take on Bryson and try to get back at him for what he did to me at the US Open,” McIlroy joked.
DeChambeau responded, “To be honest, you did it to yourself.”
With a two-shot lead going into the final round of the June major, McIlroy hit three bogeys over the final five holes, missing two putts from a combined distance of eight feet.
He left the course minutes after Bryson DeChambeau’s victory and less than 24 hours later announced he would not appear at a tournament again until the Tour descends on Scotland for the Genesis Scottish Open in July.
In a statement on social media, McIlroy said: ‘Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my almost 17 years as a professional golfer.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.
‘When I look back on my week, I will regret a number of things over the course of the tournament, especially the two missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But as I always try, I will look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.
‘As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than ever before.
The PGA Tour star suffered a painful implosion during the final round of the US Open
DeChambeau went on to win his second major championship at the US Open
‘The only word I would use to describe my career is resilient. I have shown my resilience time and time again over the past 17 years and I will do so again.
‘I’m going to take a few weeks off from competition to process everything and rebuild myself for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.’
His US Open choke, which extended his decade-long major win drought, also came during a turbulent time off-course.
On the eve of the US Open, he announced he was calling off his divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll.
Just a month earlier, before the PGA Championship in May, McIlroy announced that he and Erica were separating because their marriage was “irretrievably broken.”