Bryson DeChambeau has unsurprisingly found himself in the spotlight as the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black approaches.
But talk of the American star has largely only arrived after comments from his rival Rory McIlroy, who said DeChambeau only gets attention by “mentioning other people”.
McIlroy has been criticised for his comments on DeChambeau, which have simply increased the tension between Europe and America ahead of the Ryder Cup.
DeChambeau has since responded to McIlroy, telling Golf Channel: “All I’m trying to do is inspire kids on YouTube.
“We’ve amassed quite a big audience on YouTube, and I’m continuing to focus on that train of thought and whatever Rory says and what not is great. He didn’t mean anything by it.
“I’m excited, I hope we can have some good banter back and forth and if not and he wants to do what he’s doing, great, no problem.
“Crowd’s going to be on our side, we’re going to have a fun time. Ultimately, my job is to get a kid out there to look at me hitting a golf ball smiling. That’s the goal.”
Brandel Chamblee gets it badly wrong about Bryson DeChambeau before the Ryder Cup
Rather than playing down the situation between McIlroy and DeChambeau, Brandel Chamblee has now added fuel to the fire with his verdict.
He said of the LIV Golf ace on Golf Channel: “He didn’t talk about playing on a team and how much that meant.
“What he did do was talk about his YouTube channel, which, if we want to talk about the numbers that are generated from that, it’s pretty dubious.
“I have no doubt that bots are generating a lot of those views. There may be some interest as well, but that’s what he wants to talk about. Not the team, not the Ryder Cup.
“It’s one of the reasons why I think he’s going to be such a difficult person to get paired with. No doubt he’s one hell of a golfer, no doubt he has his moments and generosity with fans, I’ve heard about it.
“But he’s an odd duck when he’s trying to blend in with the team. And he has so many potential bulletin board mistakes, and I think he would be a captain’s nightmare.”
Chamblee’s comments about DeChambeau are simply badly wrong, not only in terms of his efforts on social media but also with his standing at the Ryder Cup.
The LIV golfer has helped transform golf with his YouTube channel and Instagram, attracting many new fans to the sport, while there is very little evidence to suggest that his outgoing personality will clash with his compatriots.
He may even represent a dream partner for one of the four American Ryder Cup rookies, with DeChambeau’s experience certain to be an asset.
Moreover, he is very likely to be the USA’s leader when it comes to motivating the fans at Bethpage to get behind their team, which again could work in the favour of his playing partner.
Why Keegan Bradley was right to praise ‘incredible’ Bryson DeChambeau
Ultimately for DeChambeau and the United States Ryder Cup team, it matters little what the likes of Chamblee and McIlroy think or say.
DeChambeau more than earned his spot in Keegan Bradley’s side, having impressively been the only American LIV Golf player to qualify automatically.
Bradley has been blown away by the “incredible” DeChambeau in the build-up to the tournament, where the latter is certain to be a crucial player for the hosts.
Indeed, DeChambeau could be America’s secret weapon at Bethpage, with his big-hitting approach set to play into his hands at the challenging New York course.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
