There is perhaps no player who is attracting more intrigue heading into the 2025 Ryder Cup than Bryson DeChambeau, with the LIV Golf star making his return to the event at Bethpage Black.
Bryson DeChambeau was something of a problem for the American team in his previous two Ryder Cup appearances. While he has always been a world-class talent, finding a partner for the 32-year-old has not always been straightforward.
He remains something of an outsider given that he is the only LIV player on Keegan Bradley‘s team. But DeChambeau has been praised for the way he has integrated into the side.
It would be no surprise to see the Crushers captain play a prominent role for the Americans. While DeChambeau playing in foursomes presents one or two issues, he is potentially going to be the most popular player on either side.
And obviously, one of the reasons for his popularity is how far he hits the golf ball.
Ben Griffin issues his verdict on whether Bryson DeChambeau can reach the first green at Bethpage Black
Bethpage Black looks set to present plenty of birdie opportunities, including on the first hole. It is a downhill par four of less than 400 yards.
Plenty of players are going to be tempted to go for the putting surface with their tee shots. But speaking to the media on Thursday, Ben Griffin suggested that just one member of Bradley’s side will have the firepower to reach the green.
“Right now it looks like the flags are going down. It’s a little rainy but I bet if Bryson went out now he could do it. I witnessed him do it two days ago. Everyone else is probably playing it to the left. I know I certainly am right now. The wind has to be right. It’s got to be hot. It’s probably going to be pretty loud,” he said.
Griffin was then asked how many times DeChambeau could hit the green if given 10 attempts.
“If I gave him ten balls in the right conditions if he knows he can get it there, he’s going to hit three probably on the surface or on the fringe, and five are going to be in a bunker or on the green, and then add another two that are going to be like 20 yards left and maybe one or two right. I don’t know. Maybe one bad one.
“But he’s hitting it pretty good right now. I played a lot with him and he’s pretty confident.”
Bryson DeChambeau praised as he prepares to make his Ryder Cup return
Griffin has spent plenty of time with DeChambeau so far this week, with the pair practicing together on several occasions at Bethpage.
Griffin has previously spoken of wanting to partner DeChambeau this week. And it seems that working closely with him has not dampened that desire.
The two-time PGA Tour winner insisted that he has been blown away by what he has seen from DeChambeau in recent months.
“No, Bryson is amazing. He’s been awesome to have on this team. He’s a huge asset for us. Played a lot of golf with him this week. Had gotten to know him prior, not only in Napa, but previous to that. He’s got an incredible amount of talent. It’s been awesome honestly to talk to him about his thoughts on equipment and his process and learn about kind of how he goes through his process,” he said.
“Because it’s a lot different than what all of us do, if you just look at from an equipment side and green reading and everything like that. So it’s been cool, because these team events, you finally feel comfortable asking other competitors how they think about things, what they work on.
“When you’re playing in regular tour events, no one wants to really share much. You kind of stick to your own stuff.
“So it’s really cool to kind of learn from other guys and how they think their way around golf courses. And yeah, Bryson is just an example of one that’s maybe a little bit more unique than the rest of the teammates.”
DeChambeau went unbeaten in 2021 in his one and only Ryder Cup appearance on home soil. So it will be very interesting to see whether the Europeans can get the better of him this week.
Clearly, many are expecting DeChambeau to produce some moments of magic over the coming days.
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