Rory McIlroy used a press conference in Dubai this week to deliver a pointed assessment of Bryson DeChambeau’s dwindling options in professional golf, as the sport braces for the shutdown of LIV Golf.
Speaking ahead of the DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy was asked whether DeChambeau might join the European circuit, since the DP World Tour would be the American’s only route to competitive golf in 2027 once LIV Golf closes. There is currently no clear path back to the PGA Tour for DeChambeau next season.
McIlroy acknowledged that DeChambeau’s presence would be good for business on the DP World Tour, but he didn’t stop there.
“Yeah, look, I think a name like Bryson DeChambeau and everything he brings with him, good and bad — he brings eyeballs, which is a good thing for tournaments,” McIlroy said Tuesday in Dubai. “And honestly, look, I’m certainly not in his shoes, and nor would I ever want to be, but it doesn’t seem like he’s got many options. You know, if he wants to play competitive golf, it doesn’t seem like he’s got many options.”
The comment is notable less for its content than for who said it. Much of the golf world has privately assumed DeChambeau’s choices are narrowing, but McIlroy’s willingness to say so openly in a media center adds weight to a rivalry that has played out on some of the game’s biggest stages in recent years, including DeChambeau’s win over McIlroy at the 2024 U.S. Open and McIlroy’s Masters victory in 2025.
Players have until Nov. 16 to commit to the DP World Tour for next season, and it remains unclear whether DeChambeau will do so. He issued a statement on LIV Golf’s closure but gave no indication of his competitive plans.
DeChambeau, 33, is exempt into all four major championships through 2029 as a result of his 2024 U.S. Open title, leaving open the possibility that he could scale back tournament golf and devote more attention to his YouTube channel while still competing in the majors.
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