PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy brushes off Bryson DeChambeau's Masters comment as pair renew rivalry
Masters champion Rory McIlroy will make an early start to his bid for back-to-back major titles at the PGA Championship; McIlroy drawn with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele for the first two rounds at Quail Hollow; watch live on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf
Last Updated: 15/05/25 11:49am
Rory McIlroy has brushed off Bryson DeChambeau's comment about not speaking to him during the final round of his Masters win last month, saying: "I don't know what he was expecting."
McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam with a dramatic play-off victory at Augusta National, and looks to follow that up by claiming back-to-back major successes at the PGA Championship this week - live on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm on Thursday.
DeChambeau, who was in the final group alongside McIlroy on the final day of The Masters - and briefly led two holes into the round - said the Northern Irishman "didn't talk to me once all day" after he stuttered to a tied-fifth finish.
The pair's duel came 10 months after DeChambeau pinched a one-stroke victory in the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No 2 after McIlroy squandered a two-shot lead over the final five holes.
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"We're trying to win The Masters," McIlroy said at his press conference ahead of the PGA Championship. "I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there.
"Look, everyone approaches the game different ways. I was focused on myself and what I needed to do.
"That's really all that it was. It wasn't anything against him - it's just I felt that's what I needed to do to try to get the best out of myself that day."
McIlroy's standoffish approach on the final day at Augusta had the desired effect as he managed to navigate multiple setbacks in a rollercoaster final round to clinch a fifth major victory of his career, ending an 11-year major drought.
McIlroy: Everything beyond Grand Slam a bonus
With the "burden" of chasing a career Grand Slam now lifted, McIlroy believes any further success is a bonus - and is unwilling to put a number on how many more majors he can win.
"It's everything I thought it would be," McIlroy said of his stunning Masters triumph. "I'm not sure if any other win will live up to what happened a few weeks ago.
"I've tried not to watch it a lot because I want to remember the feelings - when I rewatch a lot of things back, I then just remember the visuals of the TV rather than what I was feeling and what I was seeing through my own eyes, so I haven't tried to watch it back too much.
"But anytime I have, I well up. I still feel like I want to cry. It was an involuntary reaction - I've never felt a release like that before, and I might never feel a release like that again. That could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and it was a very cool moment."
McIlroy added: "I've achieved what I've wanted. I've done everything I've wanted to do in the game.
"I dreamed as a child of becoming the best player in the world and winning all the majors. I've done that, so everything beyond this, for however long I decide to play the game competitively, is a bonus.
"I think everyone saw how hard having a 'North Star' [ambition] is and being able to get it over the line. I feel like I sort of burdened myself with the career Grand Slam stuff.
"I want to enjoy what I've achieved. I don't want to burden myself by numbers or statistics... I just want to go and try to play the best golf I can."
McIlroy's modesty has not stopped many tipping him to make it two in two at majors this year, with PGA Championship course Quail Hollow one he has registered four wins at previously.
"I have obviously great memories from this place - my first win on the PGA Tour 15 years ago and winning last year," McIlroy said. "I probably played my best golf of the year last year here, especially at the weekend.
"I thought it was going to feel different here because it was a major championship, but I got out on the golf course yesterday and it felt no different than last year at the Wells Fargo.
"The rough is maybe a little juicier, but fairways are still the same cut lines and same visuals. It doesn't feel that much different. It's just a matter of stepping up and hitting the golf shots when the gun goes on Thursday."
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PGA Championship: Thursday selected UK start times
USA unless stated; *denotes starting on tenth hole
*1200 Luke Donald (Eng), Padraig Harrington (Irl), Martin Kaymer (Ger)
*1238 Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry (Irl)
*1249 Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Jason Day
*1300 Jon Rahm (Esp), Patrick Cantlay, Matt Fitzpatrick
*1322 Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Xander Schauffele
1803 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Will Zalatoris, Adam Scott (Aus)
1814 Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa
1825 Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Ludvig Åberg (Swe)
1836 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim (Kor)
1847 Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Gary Woodland
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