Rory McIlroy offered his congratulations to Bryson DeChambeau on Monday after the pair reunited at Royal Troon for the first time since last month's US Open battle.
McIlroy was agonisingly denied his first major championship in 10 years at Pinehurst No. 2, squandering a two-shot lead with just five holes to play to DeChambeau. The American went on to win the event by a shot ahead of the Northern Irishman, landing his second major title following a dramatic final round.
For McIlroy the ending was a tough one to take, and left the Pinehurst site within minutes of DeChambeau rolling in his final putt, opting to skip his post-championship media duties.
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On the back of his heartbreak, the 35-year-old decided to then take a break from competing before returning at last week's Scottish Open in the build-up to The Open Championship. Five weeks on from the US Open clash McIlroy crossed paths with DeChambeau for the first time when arriving at Troon.
Opening up on their private chat, DeChambeau told reporters: "I said hello to [McIlroy] yesterday, and we talked. He said congrats. Everything is great there." Looking forward to yet another major clash this week, the LIV Golf star went on: "He is a fierce competitor.
"I know he's going to give the fans, give everybody as much as he can this week. I'm going to be doing the same. We're going to be competing. Hopefully it will be another good battle." DeChambeau is a man in form on the major stage, finishing tied-sixth at the Masters and second at the PGA Championship before winning in North Carolina.
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"He has now arrived in Ayrshire on the hunt for his first ever Claret Jug, and is feeling as confident as he ever has heading into an Open. [I am] very confident, obviously," he claimed. "It all depends if I'm striking it well. I can come in here with the most confidence, obviously, off of a major championship win. Played decent last week, as well.
"I can continue to drive the ball as well as I have and ball strike my irons the way I know I can and putt the way I know I can. If I do those three things well, even four things with chipping and bunker play and on the greens, I will give myself a chance. I know how to get the job done.
"It's just a matter of if I'm as consistent as I was at the US Open last weekend and a few other venues as well. If I can play the golf that I have been, I think I'll give myself a great chance." DeChambeau's best finish at an Open came in 2022, where he finished in a tie for eighth at St Andrews.