FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — If Keegan Bradley wants to get a fired-up crowd even more rambunctious on Friday morning when the Ryder Cup begins at Bethpage Black, he ought to have Bryson DeChambeau hitting the first American shot of the competition.
The introductions of players will be loud enough, but so too will be DeChambeau stepping between the markers, teeing up his ball and launching a drive toward the par-4 1st green.
Who knows if that is how Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, has things mapped out. He’s clearly got a plan, with the first day pairings not to be unveiled until Thursday afternoon. But if he’s looking for a heightened grandstand experience—and with some strategic reason to do so—then that might just be what we see.
No matter how it plays out, it seems clear that DeChambeau’s contribution to the U.S. team that plays against Europe this weekend is being embraced not only by fans but by teammates.
“I was telling Keegan, I feel like Bryson could be like the difference for us in a strange way from the standpoint of feeding into these fans, the style of golf he plays,” said Xander Schauffele, who ended up besting DeChambeau by a shot last year at the PGA Championship. “And also how ... like I’ll make a putt, and you won’t see too much of a reaction. That’s just who I am. That’s kind of how I operate. Maybe it might change this week, who knows. These Ryder Cups bring out the best in you at times.
“But Bryson ... this is his arena. If he views himself as a gladiator golfer, this is as good as it gets. He’s been awesome. He’s been awesome in the team room. I’m excited to sort of see what he can do and hopefully get a lot of points up on the board because his points might hit harder than maybe my points, for example, just because of how he might celebrate and get these fans into this tournament quickly.”
Where Bryson DeChambeau Earned His Team’s Respect
That is a long way removed from the last Ryder Cup in Rome, where DeChambeau was an afterthought and not seriously considered for an at-large pick by captain Zach Johnson.
His LIV Golf affiliation certainly played into that, even though he had recently had success there and had actually contended at the 2023 PGA Championship, won by another LIV Golf player, Brooks Koepka. But it was only Koepka who was part of that Ryder Cup team, having narrowly missed out on qualifying via points.
Bradley has applauded DeChambeau in many ways leading up to the Ryder Cup, including his ability to make the team with a limited ability to earn points.
As a member of LIV Golf, DeChambeau could only earn points during the major championships over the past two years, and had six top 10s and a victory among them to grab one of the six automatic spots on the team.
Although he was not able to play in the Procore Championship two weeks ago, where 10 of the U.S. Ryder Cup players prepped for the Ryder Cup, DeChambeau attended a team function and has been available for various meetings and get-togethers.
“This is a tough thing for him, to come into guys that he doesn’t see every day, full of PGA Tour players, but he’s done an exceptional job of making the extra effort, flying to Napa, flying to Atlanta, doing things that are really difficult with the schedule that he has,” Bradley said. “He’s made every effort possible and been incredible in the team room.
“I think Bryson, just his golfing ability alone is an X-factor for our team, but also, he’s a really fiery player. When you come to a Ryder Cup, you don’t want guys to try to be something they’re not. We have a lot of calm, mellow guys, so we need the energy from Bryson, and he brings that every day in practice rounds, in the team room, and hopefully in the tournament competition too.”
Why DeChambeau’s Past Team Experiences May Not Apply
DeChambeau’s record in team competition is mixed and perhaps not a proper gauge. He went 2–0–1 in 2021 at Whistling Straits, twice partnering in four-ball with Scottie Scheffler but not playing foursomes. He went 0–2 in foursomes in 2018, losing with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. He is 2–3–1 overall but that experience is seemingly a lifetime ago for DeChambeau.
His move to LIV Golf in 2022 came with plenty of negativity and his game took awhile to come around due to various injuries including wrist and hip problems that plagued him for a good part of that year.
In addition to four top 10s in the major championships, he has four LIV Golf victories over the past three seasons as he continues to tinker with ways to improve his game and exploit his massive distance advantage off the tee.
“I think Bryson is a tremendous competitor,” Scheffler said. “He’s a great partner as well. I partnered with him in 2021 at Whistling Straits and he was a tremendous guy to be out on the golf course with. He’s a great guy and a good friend and he’s been great in our team room.
“He brings a lot of energy, the people love him, and I think he loves the opportunity to be able to represent his country. He’s a multiple-time U.S. Open winner, and that means a lot to him. I’m excited to kind of unleash him this week.”
Bradley said that players have asked to play with him and he didn’t think it would be difficult to find a partner for him. In practice rounds this week, he’s been with Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, and there is reason to believe that Griffin could be a foursomes partner if Bradley chooses to go that way.
“In the golf world right now we’re in an awkward spot with where we sit,” Bradley said. “A lot of that responsibility has fallen on Bryson. He has to make a much bigger effort than a lot of the guys. He’s been incredible. He’s been more than willing to go above and beyond for this team. I think it’s a testament to what a good teammate Bryson is. I think it’s actually really cool to see.
“He’s going to be a huge asset for us. Obviously from the standpoint of how good of a player he is, but also he’s fun to be around, he’s great to the younger guys. It’s fun for us to see Bryson in an atmosphere outside the golf course as well.”
Does that mean DeChambeau takes part in foursomes? Does he play all the sessions? Does Bradley lean on him and Scheffler, hoping the stars shine?
There’s no doubt that he will be the center of attention, another reason why a first-tee launching pad might be part of the overall strategy. DeChambeau, in practice, was attempting to do just that: drive the first green.
“He’s great in team events,” Patrick Cantlay said. “I was watching him hit drivers on the range the other day, and I’m glad he's on our side. He’s a showman out there. I think he’s going to get the crowd fired up. It’s really great anytime he’s on these teams because he’s such a fantastic player.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryson DeChambeau Could Be the X-Factor for the Americans in This Ryder Cup.