Bryson DeChambeau has sent a warning to the Europeans after all but clinching his place on the US Ryder Cup team for September's match at Bethpage Black.
After the first round of The Open, the LIV Golfer was staring down the barrel of a likely missed cut, having toiled to a seven-over 78 at Royal Portrush. However, he forced his way into the weekend with a six-under 65 on Friday. Two days later, further rounds of 68 and 64 saw him back in the clubhouse firmly inside the top 10.
While DeChambeau’s recovery wasn't enough to seal a third Major title, his performance has enhanced his credentials for September’s US Ryder Cup team.
He began the tournament with a 574-point cushion in one of six automatic qualifying places, while he will solidify that position with another haul of points following The Open, meaning he’s now all but assured of his first Ryder Cup appearance since the 2021 match at Whistling Straits.
DeChambeau will undoubtedly be one of the key men on captain Keegan Bradley’s team given his ability to perform on the big occasions and he is confident his experience as LIV Golf’s Crushers GC captain will assist the team even further.
After his final round at Royal Portrush, he said: “We have the most wins on tour right now as the Crushers. It's been so much fun playing with Paul, Anirban, and Charles. The way I've personally led my team is I've let them be their individual self, their best individual self."
He added: "That's how I learned from team golf is let the individual be the best individual they can possibly be to add to the team. That's it. Don't try to put someone in a bubble and say you need to do this, you need to do that.”
DeChambeau likened the approach to that used on him to good effect in his college golf days, which included the 2015 NCAA individual title for SMU.
He added: “What I learned best from my college coach, Josh Gregory, was just that, let me be me, which was amazing. That's why I did so well in college."
It’s not just DeChambeau’s work on the course that will make him a big asset to the US team in his third Ryder Cup appearance. Nowadays, he is also one of the most popular golfers on any circuit, and he’s confident that he can help send a boisterous home crowd at Bethpage Black to near fever pitch. He explained: “I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that's going to be rooting for Team USA.”
Two years ago, DeChambeau revealed he didn’t receive a call from then-captain Zach Johnson to say he hadn’t made the team, but it’s a different story this time. He explained that he hadn’t just had contact with Bradley over the upcoming match, but that the captain even left him a message in his locker at Royal Portrush. He said: “I talked with him briefly, and then he put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational.”
He refused to be drawn on what the message said, admitting it was personal, but he revealed it had been meaningful to him. He also sent an ominous message to the Europeans, who will be defending the title they won at Marco Simone two years ago, adding: “It meant a lot. This year's no joke. We're tired of it. We're tired of losing."
The Ryder Cup takes place between 26th and 28th September.
