Rory McIlroy downplayed his rivalry with Bryson DeChambeau at the 2025 Ryder Cup, saying he just wanted to put blue points on the board at Bethpage.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Since the 2024 U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau have become one of golf's best rivalries.
Bryson won Round 1. Then Rory responded at the Masters, winning Round 2. And in the weeks leading up to the 2025 Ryder Cup, they've gone back and forth with DeChambeau saying he was going to chirp McIlroy if they were paired, to McIlroy responding and essentially dismissing the trash talk and saying it was all talk.
Then earlier this week, DeChambeau said all he was trying to do was grow the game of golf through his YouTube channel and his passion for the game.
“There’s a rivalry between every one of us golfers," DeChambeau said. "Is it heightened with Rory? Sure. You can make it that way. But look, anytime we go out in the arena, we’re trying to be the best we can possibly be, and if it helps the game of golf out to then great, so be it.”
On Thursday, McIlroy spoke with the media for the first time this week, and he was asked about the feud with DeChambeau.
"I promised Luke I would only talk about the European Team today. I'm going to stick to it," he responded before chuckling.
"No, look, I think, again, it's so easy to play into narratives this week and to get swept up in this whole rivalries and Ryder Cup and whatever it is. All I want to do is go and try and put blue points on the board. I don't care who it's against. If I come up against Bryson at some point, I think that's great. I think that's wonderful for the championship and wonderful for us, as well, in some ways."
Talk about a deflection. And that shouldn't be surprising for McIlroy, who's making his eighth Ryder Cup appearance this week at Bethpage Black. With less than 24 hours until the opening tee ball is struck, McIlroy is locked in and focused on trying to win an away Ryder Cup for the second straight time.
If he has to face DeChambeau to accomplish that goal, so be it.
"I just want to go out there and put blue points on the board and do what I can for the European Team."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy downplays rivalry with Bryson DeChambeau at Ryder Cup
Category: General Sports
