Bryson DeChambeau Sends Rivalry Message to Rory McIlroy Ahead of 2026 Masters

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy were the final pairing on Sunday during the Masters Tournament last year.

Bryson DeChambeau Sends Rivalry Message to Rory McIlroy Ahead of 2026 Masters

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy (Image via PGA Tour/Imago)

The 2026 Masters Tournament is right around the corner. Ahead of the first round on Thursday, Bryson DeChambeau sent a rivalry message to 5-time major champion Rory McIlroy.

The two of them have been some of the top performers in golf in recent years. While McIlroy has racked up wins on the PGA Tour, DeChambeau’s strong showings on the LIV Golf circuit have made him one of the favorites to win the Masters Tournament this year.

Last year, McIlroy and DeChambeau were part of the final pairing on Sunday. The World No.2 was 2-shots ahead of the LIV Golf star and was seeking his maiden green jacket. In June 2024, these two found themselves battling for the U.S. Open crown.

Towards the end of the major event at Pinehurst, McIlroy collapsed and suffered a 1-shot defeat as DeChambeau claimed his second U.S. Open title. It seemed, history would repeat itself as McIlroy slipped up early in the final round of the Masters, allowing DeChambeau to take the lead.

The American golfer, however, was unable to maintain his lead. He slipped up as well and went on to shot a score of 75 and finished T5. Meanwhile, McIlroy prevailed over Justin Rose in the playoff round to emerge victorious and complete the career grand slam.

While McIlroy enters the tournament this week as the defending champion, DeChambeau comes on the back of successive victories in Singapore and South Africa. The Crushers GC captain is ranked 2nd in the LIV Golf individual standings, just behind Jon Rahm, who has 1 win, 3 runners-up and a 5th place finish in 5 events.

In the interview with the reporters on Tuesday, DeChambeau was asked whether his relationship with McIlroy could be considered a rivalry. The golfer nodded yes and sent a message to him.

Do I respect him as an individual? 100 percent. Do I want to beat him every time I see him? Absolutely. There’s no question about it. … I got him at Pinehurst, he got me here, and I hope there’s more of those to come because it’s great for the game.

Bryson DeChambeau said regarding Rory McIlroy

The T5 finish last year was DeChambeau’s best finish at the Masters Tournament. He is now hoping to use all the lessons he learned last year and try to use that to land his hands on the coveted green jacket this coming Sunday.

Bryson DeChambeau to begin his Masters quest while playing alongside fellow major champions

Bryson DeChambeau will be making his 10th start at the Masters Tournament this week. He will begin his quest for the green jacket by playing alongside fellow major champions.

Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson DeChambeau (Image via SB Nation)

The 32-year-old has been paired with 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick and 2024 PGA Championship and Open Championship winner Xander Schauffele for the first two rounds. The trio will tee off at 10:07 a.m. Eastern Time.

Like DeChambeau, Fitzpatrick has been in fine form in recent weeks as well. Following a runner-up finish at The Players Championship, where he got heckled, he won the Valero Texas Open next week.

As for Schauffele, the 2-time major champion has had near misses in this tournament in 2019 and 2021. Since missing the cut in 2022, he has had 3 straight top-10 finishes in this event. This is one of the featured groups for the 90th edition of the Masters Tournament.

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