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Rory McIlroy has revealed how he refused to give in to pressure from Bryson DeChambeau in the lead up to his Masters victory last year. In the final round of the 2025 Masters, McIlroy’s desperate attempt to finally win at Augusta National saw him implement a new tactic.

The Northern Irishman, both in an effort to maintain focus and to frustrate his opponent, refused to make eye contact with DeChambeau and treated his rival as if he wasn’t there, even wearing AirPods until the moment he stepped onto the first tee. The American had tried to bait him into conversation at various points in order to break his rhythm, leading to a tense atmosphere by the ninth hole.

Both players hit brilliant approaches at the steep uphill par-4, leaving themselves around 12 to 15 feet away for birdie. But there was a disagreement over who was furthest away and who would therefore putt first.

Instead of the usual quick word or a hand gesture to decide the order, McIlroy continued the silent treatment until DeChambeau suggested leaving it to chance by throwing a tee to determine who would go first. McIlroy refused, leaving the LIV Golf star to measure the respective distances with his steps before finally giving in.

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The eventual champ drained the putt to a deafening roar from the crowd, while a visibly agitated DeChambeau stepped up and pushed his putt wide right. That shifted the momentum in McIlroy’s favour as he mounted a four-shot lead.

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Recalling the moment of friction in Amazon Prime’s new documentary, Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait, he said: "I thought it was very clearly my putt.

"I thought his ball was slightly closer than mine. We sort of looked at each other and I’m like, ‘I think it’s me to go,’ and he’s like, ‘Well, I think it’s me to go.’

"It’s a very gamesmanship-y thing. Really, both of us wanted to putt first. Because if you can hole that putt before your opponent it puts pressure on them.

"He goes, ‘So why don’t we just throw a tee up for it to see who goes up first?’ And I’m like, ‘No, this is the final round of the Masters, this isn’t some game on a Tuesday afternoon somewhere.’

"I wasn’t going to wilt in that situation, I was just going to stand firm. So I said, ‘Why don’t we get someone to come and measure the distance,' and he said, ‘No, no it’s fine. You can go anyway. I don’t care.’

"I was proud of myself for holding my ground."

That moment marked a turning point for DeChambeau as he looked increasingly out of sorts. Later, airing his frustration, he said: "Rory wouldn't talk to me. Not a word. I get being focused but that’s just not me. It felt cold out there."

McIlroy went on to claim his first ever Green Jacket and complete the career Grand Slam following a play-off win over Justin Rose. The five-time major champion was unapologetic in the aftermath, saying: "I wasn’t there to be his mate. I was there to win the Masters. If he wanted a conversation, he should’ve booked a lunch."