Bryson DeChambeau had pleaded with USA captain Keegan Bradley for a chance to face off against Rory McIlroy in the Ryder Cup this week to ignite a simmering rivalry.
Alongside world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy and DeChambeau have been two of the most pivotal figures in the game in recent years, with the pair swapping gibes in the build-up to Bethpage Black this week.
“I’ll be chirping in [McIlroy’s] ear this time,” DeChambeau said earlier this summer, having stared him down to win the US Open last year, while the Northern Irishman outgunned him at the Masters to complete the career grand slam this year. “Now, if we go up against each other, I mean, you can be sure of it.”
While McIlroy took aim at the American, insisting he namechecks him to gain recognition. “I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people,” the 36-year-old told the Guardian, having ignored his contemporary for the entirety of the final round at Augusta earlier this year. “That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others.”
But just hours before the Ryder Cup begins, DeChambeau has called on Bradley, and some luck with Luke Donald’s own pairings for Europe, to play against the five-time grand slam winner.
“Look, I think rivalries are good gore the game of golf, and albeit I have the ultimate respect for Rory as a player,” DeChambeau remarked. “It's going to be fun to go up against him this week, whether it's against him directly or through other players. I think it going to be a fun challenge this week.
“Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. It would be a lot of fun. Is it going to happen? It's not likely. I mean, maybe once. You never know.
“I don't know if there's planning behind the scenes or whatnot. But look, he's a fierce competitor, a great competitor, but one that I would love the opportunity to play against this week.”
While DeChambeau has revealed the passion he holds in representing the United States on the course.
“When I missed the Olympics because of Covid and I got Covid and wasn't able to represent my country, that was a pretty big shot to the heart,” said the American.
“Playing in team events my whole entire life, playing in the Walker Cup, World Amateur, numerous other team events, that's all I wanted to do growing up. And then being on the Ryder Cup for a winning team and a losing team, experiencing both the highs and the lows and missing in Rome, this has put something in my stomach that's kind of made it a mission project for me.
“I just -- I want to -- I want to be a part of this team and be the most helpful person I can for this team in whatever way possible that is. The words really aren't there right now to explain how passionate I am about this USA team and how good I think we are and how positive we are and how encouraging we are, inspiring we are, and what this captain has done to bring us together, to band us together like other like possibly no other captains have done in the history.”
