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Bryson DeChambeau continued his media blackout after declining to speak to broadcast and written press for all four days at The Open Championship.
The two-time major champion is back in action on LIV Golf this week at JCB Golf & Country Club in Uttoxeter, England, and he declined to speak to reporters during Tuesday's practice and after he completed Wednesday's pro-am. He gave the impression he had no intention of speaking to the press for the foreseeable future.
DeChambeau is one of the biggest draws in the sport, amassing huge followings on social media and YouTube, but the spotlight on him intensified at The Open after he received a two-shot penalty at the end of his second round when rules officials ruled he had improved his lie.
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LIV's poster boy was furious with the decision and was seen fiercely arguing his case with officials when he was driven on a cart to Royal Birkdale's fifth hole. R&A referees deemed that DeChambeau had inadvertently flattened grass behind his ball as he prepared to play his second shot into the par four.
But DeChambeau insisted that his footsteps had not cleared his club path to the ball, and after being driven back to the scoring room, he spent more than 20 minutes arguing his case.
It has since been alleged that he told R&A officials he wanted to involve President Donald Trump in the discussion. DeChambeau's representatives have not responded to a request for comment on the claim.
After finally accepting that the penalty would not be overturned and signing his card, DeChambeau was trailed by a throng of reporters as he made his way to the practice range, hitting balls as darkness fell. He declined to take questions, but he did share pleasantries and offered people snacks.
His back-and-forth with The R&A delayed the release of the third-round tee times, irking some players, and rival Rory McIlroy poured fuel on the fire by slamming DeChambeau's behavior.
McIlroy said the penalty DeChambeau received was "justified," and he added: "I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention.
"To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn't feel like it was a great look."
The atmosphere was very different ahead of this week's LIV event. Practice days are not open to the public, but DeChambeau did pose for pictures and sign autographs for the players and caddies taking part in the pro-am, as well as watching families. A caddie said DeChambeau had been "very sociable" and good company for the nine holes he played.
LIV has also been dealt a hammer blow after the Asia Tour partnered with the PGA Tour and DP World Tours. Its future now in even further doubt.
DeChambeau has no obligation to speak to reporters not employed by rights holders, nor is he under any contractual requirement to speak to broadcasters or to hold press conferences at tournaments. He did take part in an interview with the R&A's media team after the first round
And he is far from the first golfer to snub reporters. McIlroy declined to speak to reporters after all four rounds of the 2025 PGA Championship amid frustration that news of his driver failing a standard USGA test was leaked to the media.
DeChambeau's relationship breakdown with the press at large has lasted longer than McIlroy's, though. Since missing the cut at the Masters in April, he has stopped in the mixed zone just once at the majors. He took a handful of questions at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills last month after a promising first round before missing the cut.
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He is entitled to do as he pleases, though it is unclear what precisely led to his decision to pull back from the media. He had been widely criticized for missing three consecutive cuts at the majors before a return to form with a T14 finish at The Open, where he ran out of steam on the weekend in the wake of his controversial penalty.
Before his first round at Birkdale, Sir Nick Faldo and Brandel Chamblee were among the high-profile pundits to direct particularly brutal criticism at the 32-year-old.
After missing the cut at the U.S. Open, DeChambeau used his massive YouTube platform, which boasts almost 3 million subscribers, to share his thoughts with fans. It would be no surprise were he to do the same when he is ready to talk about the fallout from The Open.
