Brandel Chamblee suggests the issue Keegan Bradley could have with Bryson DeChambeau at the Ryder Cup

Add as preferred source on Google

While it is incredibly difficult to predict so much to do with next month’s Ryder Cup, it seems more than likely that one of the best reactions from the Bethpage crowd will be reserved for Bryson DeChambeau.

The 2021 Ryder Cup played an important role in Bryson DeChambeau‘s career. DeChambeau was previously such a divisive figure on the PGA Tour, but he captured the imagination with his performance at Whistling Straits.

Obviously, becoming a fan favourite was still not straightforward from there, but the 2024 US Open suggested that the transformation was complete, with those behind the ropes at Pinehurst treating DeChambeau like a hero.

And it should come as a surprise to absolutely no one if DeChambeau is the most popular player on either side at the Ryder Cup next month.

Brandel Chamblee expresses Bryson DeChambeau concern ahead of the Ryder Cup

Keegan Bradley was full of praise for the way DeChambeau earned his way onto the team. The LIV Golf star managed to make the top six despite only earning points at the majors.

But some are expecting the USA captain to face an issue when it comes to DeChambeau. Speaking on Golf Channel following the announcement of Bradley’s six picks, Brandel Chamblee suggested that the captain has got his work cut out getting the best out of the Crushers captain.

“If you go back to 1979 when it became continental Europe vs the United States, when you look at the first session and the very first match of that session, the winner of the first match of the first session has predicted the winner of the Ryder Cup 68 percent of the time,” he said.

“That is how important that session is, one in terms of getting the momentum going but it also says who is going to lead with their strength and pick the best team to go out there and that team gets replicated over and over and over again.

“So the struggles of Keegan Bradley and he has an embarrassment of riches. The six players he picked, their combined world rank 15.5, is better than the six players that qualified for the European side.

“To me it’s how do you pair Bryson DeChambeau? He is an unbelievable golfer but he has been notoriously difficult to pair with.

“He has been paired with Phil Mickelson and lost a couple of times, with Woods lost, Scheffler won one of the two ties, so it’s like how do you find someone to play with Bryson DeChambeau?

“I think he will lean on in the foursome session, you are going to lean on your best ball strikers. That is what Europe have done very successfully over the course of the Ryder Cup.

“So you have to lead with strength and predict who they are going to go out with and match them for strength. You cannot make a mistake in that first session. I just don’t think Keegan Bradley is going to make those mistakes.”

How Bryson DeChambeau has fared in his two previous Ryder Cup appearances

As Chamblee alluded to, DeChambeau’s list of playing partners in the Ryder Cup is quite something.

In 2018, he was paired with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. One of the most baffling decisions Jim Furyk made at Le Golf National was putting Mickelson out in the foursomes on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Woods seemed to not have a lot left in the tank after winning the Tour Championship just before heading to France.

DeChambeau did enjoy more success alongside Scottie Scheffler three years later.

Pairing DeChambeau and Scheffler together again must be tempting for Bradley. But Scheffler’s impressive partnership with Russell Henley at the Presidents Cup cannot be forgotten about either.

So there may be a surprise up Bradley’s sleeve. Having said that, he will know how important getting the best out of DeChambeau will be, so he will not take the task of finding him the right partner lightly.