One of the most intriguing decisions Keegan Bradley faces once the Ryder Cup gets going at Bethpage concerns how big a role Bryson DeChambeau will play on his return to the event.
Bryson DeChambeau will make his first appearance for Team USA since the 2021 Ryder Cup when he tees it up in New York later this month. The LIV Golf star was one of the players who automatically qualified for Keegan Bradley‘s side.
DeChambeau seemed to be starting to win fans over by the time the Ryder Cup was held at Whistling Straits four years ago. But it is fair to say that he has now become one of the most popular players on the planet.
Nevertheless, it is not a straightforward call when it comes to deciding how much the 32-year-old will play at Bethpage.
How much Bryson DeChambeau is likely to play at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage
DeChambeau is unique in the current game – making him a tricky player to find a partner for in foursomes. His mannerisms on the course also have to be taken into account before he is sent out with anyone in New York.
But perhaps the US backroom team have few concerns about finding someone to put DeChambeau with.
Speaking on Subpar, Johnson Wagner suggested that he had heard from a vice-captain that the Crushers skipper is going to have a big role.
“I talked to Webb Simpson out of Quail last week and he said they’re going to play Bryson as much as possible. He’s going to be a guy who goes out there and really energises the crowd. I think he’s 0-2-1 in foursomes, or maybe it’s just 0-2. It seems risky to trot him out there in that first session. He won’t have played a tournament for a while,” he said.
“I think he’s going to be such an awkward fit partner-wise. I thought it was going to be Cam Young, just because they played the same ball. But I’ve heard since Cam Young won Wyndham with the ball Bryson has been playing that one of them has switched away from it. So I don’t know if there’s a ball fit, because we all know as particular as Bryson is about his spin rates and his launch angle and all that stuff, he’s not going to be the kind of guy that’s going to switch and play a spinnier or a less spinny golf ball just to make it easier for his partner.”
Why Keegan Bradley will be wary of leaving Bryson DeChambeau out of any session if Team USA get on top
It is hard to know what to make of DeChambeau’s record given that he has not played in either the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup since 2021.
The 2018 Ryder Cup was one to forget for DeChambeau. But playing with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods was a thankless task at Le Golf National, particularly in alternate shot.
| Year | Format | Playing partner | Opponent | Result |
| 2018 | Foursomes | Phil Mickelson | Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren | L 5&4 |
| 2018 | Foursomes | Tiger Woods | Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari | L 5&4 |
| 2021 | Fourballs | Scottie Scheffler | Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton | AS |
| 2021 | Fourballs | Scottie Scheffler | Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland | W 3&1 |
It would be truly shocking if DeChambeau did not play both fourball matches. Perhaps that may change if he plays in the opening three sessions and Bradley’s men open up a significant lead.
However, momentum is arguably going to be more important at this Ryder Cup than it ever has been before.
And Bradley – after sitting out Saturday afternoon at Medinah in 2012 – will know that resting DeChambeau at any stage could come back to haunt him if the LIV star is playing well.
He is surely one of the leading candidates to play all five matches – despite the difficulty the captain may have finding him a foursomes partner.
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