It is the time of the year where simply playing well may still not be enough for some to earn a spot at the Ryder Cup unless either Keegan Bradley or Luke Donald sees someone for that player to stand alongside on the opening tee at Bethpage Black.
For those who have not yet all but secured their spot for the Ryder Cup, there will be several factors which they will hope will work in their favour.
As well as current form, past Ryder Cup experience could also go a long way in earning certain players a ticket to New York in September.
But it will also help if Keegan Bradley or Luke Donald can see an obvious partner for those players on the outside looking in.
Keegan Bradley facing a fascinating decision over who he pairs with Bryson DeChambeau at the Ryder Cup
One of the most interesting decisions Bradley has got to make is who partners Bryson DeChambeau. Bradley has confirmed that DeChambeau will be on his team, with the LIV Golf star set to make his third appearance in the event.
DeChambeau is unique in the current game. And there is a very good chance that he will be the only LIV player on the American side. So finding the right partner is not going to be easy.
Speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman admitted that he is unsure of which player to pair with DeChambeau, before picking out the two standout names to him as things stand.
“I still am trying to figure out who’s going to pair up with Bryson. That’s the one to me I really can’t wrap my head around, on who’s going to level out that energy that he’s going to bring. Somebody’s going to have to be the mellow [partner]. Right now, I have J.J. [Spaun] or Harris [English] written down for Bryson right now,” he said.
“I kind of think Harris and Bryson are going to play together. And the other one that you could see too is maybe Harris and [Brian] Harman, being two guys who know each other really well. Both with some experience.”
The three incredible players Bryson DeChambeau has been paired with at the Ryder Cup
What is fascinating is the players DeChambeau has played alongside in his two previous Ryder Cup appearances.
Admittedly, the 2018 event was a bit of a disaster for the future two-time US Open champion. He lost all three matches he was involved in. But there is no question at all that Jim Furyk did him no favours whatsoever when he paired him with Phil Mickelson for the foursomes on Friday afternoon.
He then played alongside Tiger Woods on Saturday, but fared no better as he suffered a 5&4 loss.
But the 2021 event at Whistling Straits was a much happier occasion for DeChambeau. He played alongside a rookie by the name of Scottie Scheffler over the first two days. And the pair were undefeated in their two matches as USA cruised to a record victory.
That meant that the three players DeChambeau has played with in the Ryder Cups have boasted 25 majors between them.
Of course, there is always the potential for Bradley to put Scheffler and DeChambeau back together in September.
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