Bryson DeChambeau has revealed what Rory McIIroy said to him after the Northern Irishman failed to congratulate him immediately after his US Open triumph last month.
With the tournament at his mercy and leading by two shots with five holes to play, McIlroy collapsed at the finish with bogeys on three of his final four holes, including a heart-breaker at the 18th.
He amazingly missed from two feet and six inches for par on the 16th and less than four feet on the 18th to suffer another scarcely believable end in his 10-year pursuit for a fifth Major.
McIlroy did not hang around to speak to media and was pictured by golf reporter Jason Sobel packing his clubs into a car after Bryson DeChambeau made sure of victory.
The 35-year-old then took three weeks off to get his head straight before competing at this week's 152nd at Royal Troon.
Bryson DeChambeau beat Rory Mcilroy to the US Open title in North Carolina last month
McIlroy did not hang around to speak to media and congratulate DeChambeau
DeChambeau and McIlroy crossed paths again on the practice range at Royal Troon on Monday where the latter finally offered.
'I said hello to him yesterday, and we talked. He said congrats. So everything's great there,' DeChambeau said of his interaction with the world No 2
'He's 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.'
In response to dodging the media and not congratulating DeChambeau after the US Open, McIlroy told the Guardian: 'Maybe the one drawback from me not talking [to media] afterwards was that you got three weeks of speculation.
'"He should have done this, should have done that but we will never know because he didn't say".
'I trust the people around me. I don't need to go looking for external counsel. If the tournament ended after 68 holes, people would be calling me the best golfer in the world.'