Keegan Bradley announced his Ryder Cup captain’s picks on Wednesday but before that, he spoke about Bryson DeChambeau and what has really impressed him about the LIV Golf star.
The Ryder Cup is now just one month away and Bradley is already under pressure after making some questionable captain’s picks ahead of the showdown with Europe at Bethpage Black.
The 39-year-old chose not to select himself which essentially means he is not taking the best team possible to Bethpage.
Over the past few weeks, Bradley has been told he needs to play at the Ryder Cup by many of the top American stars.
So the fact that he hasn’t picked himself may well mean that the American team is weaker than it could have been.
However, his top six players are incredibly strong, with LIV superstar DeChambeau one of the leading golfers on the team.
DeChambeau has been a real leader amongst the US Ryder Cup team behind the scenes over the past few months.
And the 31-year-old will undoubtedly be a key component of the US team at Bethpage next month.
Keegan Bradley makes comment on Bryson DeChambeau ahead of the Ryder Cup
Before Bradley selected his six captain’s picks, he was asked about all six of the automatic qualifiers.
The Ryder Cup captain was asked to give his opinion on DeChambeau and whether he feels he will be a big asset for Team USA.
Bradley explained: “A lot to say about Bryson. One of the most incredible things was that he qualified for the team off of eight starts which is unheard of but what I am most impressed about Bryson is the effort that he has made to be a part of this team. He has had to travel, go out of his way to meet us in our places, and he has gone above and beyond what we would ever ask of a player and that’s the thing I am most proud of.
“You can go on and on about how good a player he is but what he has done for this team, and put in the extra effort, is amazing to see.“
In fairness to DeChambeau, the fact that he qualified for the Ryder Cup in just eight events is truly remarkable, and he will undoubtedly be one of the leaders at Bethpage.
What Bryson DeChambeau said about being denied entry to the Procore Championship
The US Ryder Cup team are heading to Napa in two weeks time to play in the Procore Championship at the Silverado Resort.
However, DeChambeau will not be there due to the fact that he is a member of the LIV Golf league.
He spoke to Sports Illustrated and opened up on the fact that he won’t be able to play alongside his 11 Ryder Cup teammates in Napa next month.
DeChambeau said: “That’s up to the Tour and their decision to make.
“It’s on them if they don’t let us become together as a team and play. That just shows you…yeah, I’m not gonna say that.
“Yeah, it’s a scenario that’s unfortunate, and I wish it was different, but LIV is willing to let me play.”
The bottom line is that DeChambeau’s decision to join LIV Golf in 2022 was always going to have consequences and he’s experiencing one of those now.
It’s a shame that DeChambeau won’t be playing with the rest of the Ryder Cup team and Bradley at the Procore Championship. However, he has nobody to blame but himself.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
