Rory McIlroy says Bryson DeChambeau is short on options after LIV

Rory McIlroy says Bryson DeChambeau would bring "eyeballs" to the DP World Tour but doesn't seem to have many other places to play. McIlroy made the comments Tuesday in Dubai, speaking to reporters before this week's season-ending DP World Tour Championship, as BBC Sport, The Irish Times and RTÉ each reported.

What McIlroy said

"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. "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 two have history. Today's Golfer notes McIlroy called DeChambeau "performative" after his penalty at this year's Open Championship, and DeChambeau beat McIlroy for the 2024 U.S. Open.

Where DeChambeau stands

DeChambeau's future is open after LIV Golf's collapse. That 2024 U.S. Open title makes him eligible to apply for DP World Tour membership for 2027, and BBC Sport, The Irish Times and Sky Sports put his deadline at Nov. 15. BBC Sport adds that membership would give him a chance to earn back a PGA Tour card for 2028.

In a statement this week, DeChambeau said he still believes in team golf and will approach what comes next "with humility and respect." He is set to play the Nedbank Golf Challenge in December. Today's Golfer reports that PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp is treating the program that let Brooks Koepka return from LIV in January as a one-time offer.

McIlroy's own week

McIlroy is chasing an eighth Race to Dubai title, which would tie Colin Montgomerie's record. RTÉ has him second in the standings, 533 points behind Spain's Eugenio Chacarra, with Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm and Ryan Fox among the nine players still in contention. He has won three times at Jumeirah Golf Estates' Earth Course.

What to watch

The next date to circle is DeChambeau's membership deadline this weekend. Today's Golfer frames his choice as a DP World Tour card or a career built more around YouTube golf, something he has flirted with before. A yes would hand the European circuit the attention McIlroy described. McIlroy, meanwhile, tries to close that 533-point gap this week on the Earth Course.