Mind doctor says Rory McIlroy’s silent treatment ‘would have got to’ Bryson DeChambeau in final round of Masters

Tiger Woods did it. Tom Watson too. Now Rory McIlroy is the ultimate beneficiary of one of sport’s oldest and coldest ploys.

The silent treatment. The cold shoulder. The give ‘em nothin’ glare.

Call it what you like but it’s the oldest and coldest weapon in sport and – intentionally or not – might just have been the secret spice behind sport’s story of the decade.

When the dust settled after Rory McIlroy’s life-changing US Masters win over American Bryson DeChambeau attention focused on the many exotic threads such as several spectacular stumbles and even more breathtaking recoveries.

But the most talked about quotes came not from McIlroy but beaten rival DeChambeau who revealed McIlroy “wouldn’t talk to me’’ for the entire five hours they spent together in the last group of the day.

Rory McIlroy gave Bryson De Chambeau nothing all day in the final round of the Masters. Picture: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

DeChambeau was careful not to sound overly miffed about it but his guard dropped low enough for people to see inside his soul when he said: “He was just like — just being focused, I guess. It’s not me, though.”

Not him at all. It left one provocative question hanging in the air … did the “no talkies’’ throw DeChambeau off his game, even just a little which was all it had to for McIlroy to snare hit heart’s desire.

While McIlroy insisted the tactic was all about him staying in his bubble rather than intimidating his last round partner, mind doctors watching on say it could have been a hugely decisive play.

Leading sports psychologist Phil Jauncey, a close associate of rugby league coaching great Wayne Bennett who has also worked with the Brisbane Lions, the Australian cricket team and many other sporting sides, says the no talk edict unsettles several specific personality types.

Jauncey’s analysis breaks sportsmen down into a range of psychological categories including “Mozzies’’ who love a chat and “do so without even thinking about it’’ and “Feelers’’ who worry “if the other guy doesn’t like you.’’

Jauncey with Wayne Bennett when at the Brisbane Broncos in 2018. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

“If Bryson is a Mozzie or a Feeler it would have got to him because those guys need a relationship,’’ Jauncey said.

“Whether intentional or not it would have rattled him because some guys love to talk.

“We used to do that strategy in cricket when the Queensland Bulls against Matthew Mott when he played for Victoria. The players would not talk to him.

“It can also work the other way. If a guy is really quiet and thoughtful you keep chatting to them and you know they are thinking “shut up you b**tard.’’

Jauncey believes De Chambeau’s personality type could have had something to do with his reaction post-round. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The late Australian golfing great Jack Newton once told this masthead he was mildly riled by American great Tom Watson refusing to speak to him during their epic 18 hole playoff in the 1975 British Open which Watson won by a shot.

Newton started the day acknowledging Watson’s good shots but stopped when he realised he was getting only “crickets’’ in return.

Tom Watson with Jack Newton after the former won the 1975 Open Championship. Picture: PA Images via Getty Images

“I was always in the habit of saying “great shot’’ but in the first three holes, I realised there was nothing coming back my way from Tom, so I am not going to keep saying “good shot’’ to him,’’ Newton told me.

“His philosophy was you are just pumping up your opponent by saying “good shot’’ but I reckon that is taking things too far.’’

Watson, a psychology graduate from Stanford University, had many well set theories on subtle golf course war and the silent treatment was one of them.

Long serving PGA star Tony Finau has vivid memories of getting the cold shoulder from his idol Tiger Woods during the last round of the 2019 Masters which Woods won.

Masters champion Tiger Woods walks down the third hole at Augusta National in 2019, well separated from Tony Finau. Picture: Getty Images

“We finally get to the 7th hole, and Tiger and I were walking next to each other off the tee, and it was kind of awkward,” Finau told golf’s Subpar podcast. “I was like, How come he’s not talking to me? Maybe I should say something to him.

“So I’m like, ‘Hey Tiger, how are the kids?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, they are doing fine.’ And he just laser-eyed straight down the fairway and just kept on walking and from that point on I said, well, I know where his attitude is at and I’m not talking to him the rest of the day.

“The next time we spoke was when I congratulated him on winning the green jacket. He pretty much told me (during the round) with a straight face, ‘Leave me alone.”

Originally published as Mind doctor says Rory McIlroy’s silent treatment ‘would have got to’ Bryson DeChambeau in final round of Masters