Rory McIlroy says he does feel "some sympathy" for Bryson DeChambeau due to the abuse which he receives on the golf course. Though, McIlroy also believes that the American is not totally blameless.
During the BMW Championship on Sunday, in which DeChambeau lost in a playoff to Patrick Cantlay, he reportedly got into an altercation with a fan who had shouted "Great job Brooksie" at him. Much to DeChambeau's annoyance, fans regularly shout 'Brooksie' at him due to his feud with Brooks Koepka.
Rory McIlroy: Bryson DeChambeau 'not blameless'
"I certainly feel some sympathy for him," McIlroy said on Wednesday ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake, "because I certainly... I don't think that you should be ostracized or criticized for being different.
"I think we have all known from the start that Bryson is different and he is not going to conform to the way people want him to be. He is his own person. He thinks his own thoughts, and everyone has a right to do that.
"There are certainly things that he has done in the past that have brought some of this stuff on himself. I'm not saying that he's completely blameless in this.
"But at the same time, I think he has been getting a pretty rough go of it of late and it's actually pretty sad to see because he, deep down, I think, is a nice person and all he wants to do is try to be the best golfer he can be. And it just seems like every week something else happens and I would say it's pretty tough to be Bryson DeChambeau right now.
"I don't know if anyone else on TOUR has spoken up for him, but I definitely, I definitely he feel for him a little bit.
"I agree, I don't think he's completely blameless in all this, but at the same time, I think he's trying to become better and he's trying to learn from his mistakes and I think everyone should give him a chance to try to do that."
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said on Tuesday that any who taunt DeChambeau with shouts of 'Brooksie' risk being ejected from tournaments.
See Also: Cavanagh Contemplates Possibilities After Turning Down Tyrone Approach
