PGA Tour winner says Rory McIlroy’s ‘consciously’ avoided Bryson DeChambeau at the Masters

Bryson DeChambeau’s comments on Rory McIlroy ignoring him during the Masters 2025 has the golf world divided. While some criticized the Northern Irishman for his alleged hostile behavior, some others like Smylie Kaufman have dubbed it a calculated move from the PGA Tour star.

Kaufman addressed Bryson’s McIlroy ‘didn’t speak to him all day’ comments in the latest episode of The Smylie Show. The 2015 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open winner opined that McIlroy “probably made the conscious decision with his team” to avoid Bryson while on the field. He dubbed it a “smart” move and said it was the “only way to handle a Sunday situation like that.”

Meanwhile, the Golfer turned analyst claimed predicting that the 31-year-old LIV star was ‘taking every opportunity to try to get his crowd on his side.’ He also said the latter tried to “get inside Rory's head” during the major outing.

Commenting on Bryson DeChambeau’s comments on Rory McIlroy, Smylie Kaufman said (at 11:51):

“I want to bring up a quote that I just read about Bryson DeChambeau talking about Rory McIlroy… We talked about how was Rory going to handle Bryson and the crowds on Sunday. We felt like Bryson was going to take every opportunity to try to get his crowd on his side, do anything in his power to maybe try to get inside Rory's head in any way that he could…

Bryson said Rory wouldn't talk to him the entire day, hardly looked at him, there was no conversations. So you could see that Rory heading into the day probably made the conscious decision with his team and said avoid him, ‘don't talk to him, don't let him try to speak to you.’ Smart. That's the only way to handle a Sunday situation like that.”

Kaufman went on to state that DeChambeau ‘probably needed somebody to talk to’ as it was ‘not a good day’ for him on the field. It is pertinent to note that the LIV star’s comments on the Masters champion didn’t sit well with many pros, including Padraig Harrington, who dismissed it as the former’s silly expectation on the field.

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What did Bryson DeChambeau say about Rory McIlroy?

Bryson DeChambeau was responding to a media query on Rory McIlroy in his post-Masters press conference when he revealed that the latter ‘didn’t speak to him even once all day.’ The two-time major champion said the now-Grand Slam winner ‘wouldn't talk’ even if he had tried to initiate a conversation.

Bryson DeChambeau said on Sunday at Augusta, as quoted by ASAP Sports:

“No idea. Didn't talk to me once all day… He wouldn't talk to me.”

The comments come almost a year after the duo ignited an iconic rivalry at the U.S. Open. For the unversed, the duo faced off each other in a playoff at Pinehurst. DeChambeau came out on top to clinch his second major title. However, McIlroy made headlines that day as he left the course within minutes of the loss, not waiting for the press questions.

Interestingly, the LIV Golfer and the PGA Tour star’s relationship seemed to get better last December, when they faced off again at The Showdown. The duo entered the playing field alongside teammates Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler to compete at the made-for-TV exhibition event. They were seen sharing a laugh during the matchup.

However, it seems to have taken a fresh turn on Sunday as DeChambeau came out complaining about his rival’s approach to him.