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Maybe Bryson DeChambeau was nervous? Maybe Steph Curry just knows Lake Merced that well? Maybe Bryson was just struggling with his wedge game?

Or maybe Curry is just that good.

DeChambeau has released the latest video in his Breaking 50 YouTube series, with NBA star Steph Curry as his guest, playing at Lake Merced in San Francisco in the days leading up to the Ryder Cup. The conceit is well known by now: DeChambeau and guest play a scramble from the up tees at a given course and see if they can somehow shoot 49 or better. The only time he’s succeeded in doing so was with a pair of fellow content creators. To do so with Curry would set a new standard …

And that’s exactly what they did. But it was how they did so that stood out.

Curry drive from 320 yards — to four feet.

Curry 5-wood from 243 yards — straight as train smoke, LONG of the green.

Curry full 60-degree wedge from 104 yards — eight feet.

“He might beat me today,” DeChambeau said. And as much as he was joking, he wasn’t wrong.

Curry 6-iron from 211 yards — to four feet.

“I’ve got it in there,” Curry said, admitting he hasn’t played this well to start a round in a long time. “You just have to bring it out at the right time.”

Curry driver from 306 yards — to 20 feet.

Curry with pitching wedge from 143 — five feet. (Solo birdie)

Curry from 138 yards to 12 feet.

Curry from 205 yards to 20 feet.

Both players did their part on the greens, each holing a long one when they needed it.

Curry from 113 yards to six feet, and the putt for another solo birdie.

Curry out-driving DeChambeau on the 14th hole.

Curry off the tee from 320 yards — on the green to 41 feet.

Curry roasts a draw off the tee. It gets caught up in the rough … but still ends up a few yards further than DeChambeau’s driver.

“There are certain days when golf makes sense, and today is one of them,” Curry said as they drove in a cart up the 18th. When DeChambeau wedged it on, they two-putted for a finishing birdie and 49.

So, just how great was Curry’s performance?

He really did out-drive DeChambeau multiple times. Just as shocking, though is how helpful he was with his wedges, hitting a handful inside 15 feet, all while DeChambeau was struggling with his own wedge game. He had those two solo birdies on par-3s, which can be the most difficult holes for two-man scrambles to birdie. When it came to shots played from tee-to-green, Curry’s shots were used 11 times while DeChambeau’s were used 14 times. Pretty darn good for the non-professional golfer in the group.

But for those who aren’t just coming to Curry’s golf game for the first time, it’s not completely shocking. The 11-time NBA All-Star has won the annual American Century Celebrity golf event in Tahoe and has even competed twice via sponsor invite on the Korn Ferry Tour. Of course, that gets everyone thinking about a golf career for Curry when his basketball days are over. Even DeChambeau.

Ben Stokes and Mark Wood will be “raring to go” in time for the Ashes, according to England pace bowler Brydon Carse.

Talismanic England skipper Stokes missed the final Test against India in July because of a shoulder injury, while express paceman Wood has not played a Test since August 2024 as a result of elbow and knee problems.

Both are looking to be fit for the first Test in Perth on 21 November, a series opener that Australia captain Pat Cummins has said he is “less likely than likely” to feature in because of a back injury.

Carse, a Durham team-mate of Stokes and Wood, said: “Ben and Woody are going well.

“I’ve been down to Loughborough in the past couple of weeks, had a couple of nights with them. Ben is looking near enough 100% fit and so is Mark. I’ve been bowling with them.

“It’s exciting to see where they have got to after their setbacks during the summer. They will be raring to go come Australia time.”

Pace bowling and the durability of the respective attacks could be a decisive factor in the outcome of a five-Test Ashes series crammed into the space of seven weeks.

With Aussie spearhead Cummins a huge doubt for Perth and possibly beyond, the home side will rely on Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, all in their mid-30s. Beyond that, their other seamers are inexperienced or untried at Test level.

The group of fast bowlers named by England is set to be their fastest and most hostile to tour Australia in more than 50 years, albeit with some fitness doubts among them.

By the time of the first Test, Wood will not have played any competitive cricket since February. Despite that lack of action, the 35-year-old – probably the fastest bowler in the world – often claims he is at his best when fresh.

All-rounder Stokes, 34, is vital to England’s Ashes hopes, but has a history of pushing himself to breaking point. He has not completed any of England’s past four Test series and in the home summer against India his large bowling workload resulted in the shoulder injury.

Stokes and Wood are also the only pace bowlers in the England squad to have played in a Test down under before, but Carse believes the touring seamers will not suffer for their lack of time in Australian conditions.

“You can look at it two ways,” said Carse, speaking at the Toyota Professional Cricketers’ Association awards.

“Stokesy and Woody have played in Ashes series down in Australia, so they have the experience to fall back on.

“A couple of the other seamers have played in A trips out there. Hopefully that experience will allow them to feel a level of confidence going into the Ashes.”

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Apparently, when golfers need some specialized accessories, it’s a good thing to have Bryson DeChambeau in the field.

Why? Because on the True Temper Tour Truck this week, the only Tour truck on-site for the Ryder Cup, DeChambeau had stashed a “first-aid kit” of anything a golfer could possibly need for his gear.

And as GOLF’s Fully Equipped co-host Johnny Wunder revealed on this week’s podcast, that almost came in handy for Matt Fitzpatrick at Bethpage Black.

Earlier in the week, Wunder was on the True Temper truck when someone came in looking for a spike for Fitzpatrick. With no other trucks available, the True Temper truck is the only place to get everything from re-gripping to golf shoe cleats.

“True Temper’s Connor [Olsen] was on the truck, and Connor opened up the Bryson Golf first-aid kit, which is a suitcase with gloves and tees,” Wunder said. “So he had bags of spikes. So Connor’s pulling out spikes.”

DeChambeau changes his spikes often, so he had bags of spikes in the suitcase that also had things like gloves, towels, wrenches and grips. It was lucky because Fitzpatrick and DeChambeau both use the Champ Pro Stinger spike, but the issue was that Fitzpatrick had four pairs of golf shoes that needed fresh spikes.

Olsen was worried DeChambeau wouldn’t be happy if Fitzpatrick took four sets of spikes from the handy kit.

Luckily, Wunder had his own backup plan to call SoftSpikes Tour rep Charles Woodward.

“I called him, I said, ‘Charlie, I need two sets of nails for some Skechers from Matt’s Fitzpatrick and I need them delivered tomorrow,’” Wunder said of the call on Wednesday. “And they showed up today at Fitz’s hotel.”

Fitzpatrick didn’t end up taking from DeChambeau’s stash, but it’s still wild to think about how much stuff DeChambeau travels with for emergency situations like this.

For more from Wunder and fellow Fully Equipped co-host Jake Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2025?Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

While the New York crowd peppered Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry with insults on Saturday afternoon at the Ryder Cup, tensions flared inside the ropes with the four-ball match closest behind.

The confrontation occurred on Bethpage’s 15th green, ignited by Justin Rose telling Bryson DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, to back off while he read his 15-foot birdie putt. Cameras showed Bodine encroaching on Rose’s line as he and DeChambeau were preparing for an 11-footer of their own.

After Rose and DeChambeau traded makes, maintaining the European’s 3-up advantage, several arguments ensured, involving not only Bodine and Rose but DeChambeau, Rose’s partner Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott and European assistant Francesco Molinari. The only person that appeared to refrain from the jawing was Scheffler, who walked toward the 16th tee with his arm around U.S. assistant Kevin Kisner.

At one point, Ian Finnis could be heard telling DeChambeau to “chill out†as he exchanged words with Fleetwood while they exited the green. Scott was shown screaming at Rose, and a few moments later, he got in Molinari’s face after the European captain looked to have accidentally bumped Scott as he walked up to him. Fleetwood had to then step in.

When the group reached the 16th tee box, NBC on-course reporter Smylie Kaufman said, “No exaggeration guys, every single person on this tee is heated.â€

Eventually, everyone cooled, and after the match ended in a 3-and-2 European victory, Rose explained what happened to NBC’s Damon Hack.

“It was a shame that the match got to that point because it was actually a really great match,†said Rose, who moved to 2-0, one of three Europeans still undefeated this week along with Fleetwood (4-0) and McIlroy (3-0-1).

“I was waiting to putt, the boys were obviously working on their read, obviously going through a lot of their sort of whatever, calculations and bits and pieces, so I sort of waited a few seconds and then I felt like they came up again and I was sort of – I was like, ‘It’s my putt,’ right, or however I said it. Maybe I didn’t say it as politely as I could have said it in the moment, but by no means was there any disrespect or anything like that, but obviously it was taken the wrong way.

“Yeah, I don’t think we should dwell on that, honestly. I said to the boys, if you want me to say, ‘Excuse me, please,’ then yeah, my bad.â€

• 

  Mark SchlabachSep 27, 2025, 06:41 PM ET

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  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — It hasn’t been a great Ryder Cup week for American stars Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler at Bethpage Black, and it didn’t get any better when their caddies were involved in a confrontation with Europe’s Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood during their four-ball match Saturday.

As Rose was lining up a 15-foot birdie attempt on the 15th hole, he said DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, came back to read the American star’s putt again and was standing close to his line. Rose pointed for Bodine to move out of the way.

“I was waiting to putt, the boys were obviously working on their read, obviously going through a lot of their sort of whatever, calculations and bits and pieces, so I sort of waited a few seconds,” Rose said. “Then I felt like they came up again, and I was like, ‘It’s my putt, right?'”

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The Europeans were 3 up in the match, so tensions were already running high.

“Maybe I didn’t say it as politely as I could have said it in the moment, but by no means was there any disrespect or anything like that,” Rose said. “But obviously it was taken the wrong way.”

After Rose made his birdie putt, he celebrated in the direction of DeChambeau and Bodine.

When DeChambeau made an 11-foot birdie putt to extend the match, he seemed to return the favor.

As the golfers walked off the green, DeChambeau approached Rose, and the pair exchanged words.

“I said to the boys, ‘If you want me to say, excuse me, please, then yeah, my bad,'” Rose said.

The incident continued up the hill to the 16th tee box. Fleetwood and his caddie, Ian Finnis, joined the heated discussion, and then Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, had words with European team vice captain Francesco Molinari. Fleetwood stepped between Molinari and Scott to separate them and try to calm the situation.

“It’s one moment out of two days of a lot of golf and a lot of great golf,” Fleetwood said. “You’re out there and, yeah, it happens. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”

Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose exchange words while walking to the 16th hole Saturday at Bethpage Black. Harry How/Getty Images

After Rose made a 6½-foot par putt to seal the 3-and-2 win on the 16th hole, the golfers and the caddies shook hands. Scott talked to Molinari, and things seemed to calm down.

“It was a shame that the match got to that point because it was actually a really great match,” Rose said.

Rose hoped the situation was over on the 16th green when the match finished.

“Listen, I hope so,” Rose said. “I spoke to the boys. It should be [over], in my opinion. There was no intent behind it whatsoever. I admire [Scheffler] more than anybody else out on tour with the way he goes about his business, the way he goes about his life, and obviously just huge respect all around.

“But from my point of view, it was something that was sort of taken in a way that wasn’t intended in a way, but obviously it was a big putt, big moment. I’m trying to control my environment as well in that scenario. We’re all competitors, right? I think that’s all within the framework of what we’ve got to do out here.”

DeChambeau didn’t comment on the confrontation after the match ended.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said he spoke to everyone involved.

“I mean, I think it was a little bit disrespectful, but Justin Rose told me after on the green that they had talked it out,” Bradley said. “I talked to Bryson. In sports, golf, it’s blown into this huge thing. It happens in sports all the time. They seemed fine after the round. You know, it’s super passionate out there, especially for — well, for both sides. But from what I understand, everything was fine after the round. These sort of things happen when you’re playing for your country.”

Remarkably, DeChambeau and Scheffler were 9 under in the match — and lost handily.

“Bryson and I did some good stuff out there,” Scheffler said. “We were into a tough matchup today. Those guys played great. They made a ton of putts and really tip of a cap to them. They played better than we did.”

It has been another forgettable Ryder Cup week for Scheffler, who became the first American golfer to lose a match in each of the first four sessions of a Ryder Cup. It had previously been done only by two Europeans: Peter Alliss (1967) and Peter Townsend (1971).

The world No. 1 is only the fourth American to lose four matches during one Ryder Cup played on U.S. soil, joining Steve Stricker (2012), Raymond Floyd (1983) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979), according to Elias Sports Bureau.

No American has dropped five matches in one Ryder Cup, home or away.

Scheffler is winless in his past eight matches going back to the Europeans’ 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome in 2023.

Bradley, though, commended Scheffler after play concluded Saturday, calling him the best teammate in the U.S. room this week.

“This is what happens in sports all the time,” Bradley said. “You know, you see somebody, like I said in here last night, in golf, the moment you want something so bad and you try so hard, you don’t play as well. And when you’re kind of freewheeling it, and I know how it is when you get off to a bad start in a Ryder Cup. You really desperately want to help the team, and I’ve been out there with Scottie, he’s played great. He flew one in the hole today and it popped out and came off the green. We’ve had some wacky stuff go on.”

• 

  Mark SchlabachSep 25, 2025, 04:53 PM ET

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  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Golf fans won’t have to wait long to watch Bryson DeChambeau at the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Friday.

The two-time U.S. Open champion will partner with Justin Thomas in the first match of foursomes (alternate-shot) at 7:10 a.m. ET. They’ll face the European duo of Spain’s Jon Rahm and England’s Tyrrell Hatton.

“Besides the fact that they’re both phenomenal players, they both bring a spark to our team,” U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley said of DeChambeau and Thomas. “Bryson has been an incredible teammate in the locker room, and we really want him to lead our team out with Justin in the first match.”

Ryder Cup Friday Foursomes

7:10 a.m.: Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (-115), Europe vs. Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas (-115), U.S.
7:26 a.m.: Ludvig Ã…berg and Matt Fitzpatrick (+130), Europe, vs. Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley (-180), U.S.
7:42 a.m.: Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood (-180), Europe, vs. Collin Morikawa and Harris English (+130), U.S.
7:58 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland (-105), Europe, vs. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (-130), U.S.
— Odds per ESPN BET

DeChambeau and Thomas never have played together in a Ryder Cup match.

“We’ve got a big responsibility and role,” DeChambeau said. “We’re going to be going up against a great team, Rahm and Hatton. They’re a formidable force, but we want to send a message.”

When DeChambeau was asked what he expected from U.S. fans on the first tee Friday morning, he added: “Tsunami of a wave of support.”

Hatton and Rahm went 2-0 in foursomes in the last Ryder Cup, which the Europeans won 16½-11½ at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside Rome two years ago. Rahm is 4-0 in foursomes in three previous appearances.

“We want to start strong, obviously,” European team captain Luke Donald said. “We know that in match play you’ve got to get off to a good start. These guys have had a lot of success together. They know how to win. They’re a strong partnership; they get along well. We’re very happy to send them out first.”

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley will take on Europe’s Ludvig Ã…berg and Matt Fitzpatrick in the second match. Scheffler, who has won 13 times on the PGA Tour the past two seasons, will try to rebound from going 0-2-2 in Italy.

The third U.S. team is a bit of a surprise, with two-time major champion Collin Morikawa playing with Harris English, who is competing in his second Ryder Cup. They’ll face Masters champion Rory McIlroy and Tour Championship winner Tommy Fleetwood, who have been two of Europe’s best performers in recent Ryder Cups.

The last match features Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele against Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and Norway’s Viktor Hovland. Schauffele won two major championships in 2024 but struggled this past season after suffering a rib injury.

“We’ve had this lineup set for a long time,” Bradley said.

Two years ago, the Americans were swept in foursomes to start the Ryder Cup, the first time a European team led 4-0 after the first session. It was a bit of a surprise that Donald and his vice captains split up a few of the teams that were so successful at Marco Simone.

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Ã…berg and Hovland earned a 4-and-3 victory in their first foursomes match, then defeated Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9-and-7 in 11 holes in foursomes on the Saturday, the most lopsided victory in an 18-hole match in Ryder Cup history. Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Austria’s Sepp Straka held on for a 2-and-1 win in the first session.

Donald said the European team relied on analytics, in part, in setting up its pairings.

“A little bit of statistics, looking at the golf course, and a little bit that it’s two years from Rome,” he said. “People’s profiles and people’s games change. Again, we went with what we thought was the strongest match. We’re trying to win. We’re trying to get our strongest pairings out, and this is what we feel like is our strongest group.”

Ã…berg said he has played a lot of golf with Fitzpatrick the past couple of weeks.

“It’s a plan set in place by Luke, and we all trust in that,” Ã…berg said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, and [I’m] looking forward to playing some good golf together.”

Lowry, Straka, Justin Rose and Ryder Cup rookie Rasmus Højgaard are sitting out the first session.

U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Sam Burns, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young aren’t playing for the Americans in foursomes.

The opening session will be followed by four four-ball (best ball) matches, starting at 12:25 p.m. ET Friday. The same schedule will be played again Saturday, followed by 12 singles matches Sunday.

The Europeans need 14 points to retain the Ryder Cup; the Americans need 14½ points to take it back.

The home team has captured the past five Ryder Cups; the Europeans’ last victory on U.S. soil was a 14½-13½ comeback at Medinah Country Club in Illinois in 2012.

Bryson DeChambeau often finds himself in the middle of golf’s viral moments. Sometimes, that’s by design. Other times, it’s based on who he is and the polarizing nature of his place in the professional golf ecosystem.

But where DeChambeau once felt uncomfortable being in the middle of an attention storm that might skew negative (think his rivalry with Brooks Koepka and the heckling that ensued), he is now more comfortable in his own skin. Since the move to LIV Golf, DeChambeau has settled into his role as an occasional lightning rod. Even if the comments that come his way are negative, that’s OK, because, well, attention is currency.

As DeChambeau has embarked on his stated goal to “grow the game” through his YouTube channel, the Crushers frontman has understood that all eyeballs are good eyeballs.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that when DeChambeau was confronted with Rory McIlroy’s latest jab about his need for attention, he easily shrugged it off as a way to raise the interest level at this week’s Ryder Cup.

“All I’m trying to do is inspire kids on YouTube, and we’ve amassed quite a big audience on YouTube,” DeChambeau told Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis on Monday ahead of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. “I’m continuing to focus on that train of thought. Whatever Rory says and whatnot — granted, I didn’t mean anything by it other than I’m excited. I hope we can have some good banter back and forth, and if not, if he wants to do what he’s doing, great, no problem. Crowd is going to be on our side. We’re going to have a fun time. But ultimately, my job is to get a kid out there who is looking at me hitting a golf ball smiling.

“There’s a rivalry between every one of us golfers. Is it heightened with Rory? Sure. You can make it that way. But look, anytime we go out in the arena, we’re trying to be the best we can possibly be, and if it helps the game of golf out to then great, so be it.”

Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee, who has been consistently critical of every player who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, wasn’t impressed by DeChambeau’s attempt to take the high road with McIlroy. Chamblee pointed out that DeChambeau didn’t really address McIlroy’s comments and just pivoted to his YouTube channel, whose subscription numbers Chamblee doesn’t completely buy.

“I thought it was pretty pointed there when he [was] asked about the retort of Rory, that he didn’t mention the goal this week of a Ryder Cup,” Chamblee said on Golf Channel. “Nope, he didn’t do that. He didn’t talk about playing on a team and how much that meant. Nope, didn’t do that. What he did do was talk about his YouTube channel, which, you know, if we want to talk about the numbers that are generated from that, it’s pretty dubious. I have no doubt bots are generating a lot of those views. There may be some interest as well. But that’s what he wants to talk about. Not the team, not the Ryder Cup.

“It’s one of the reasons why I think he’s going to be such a difficult person to get paired with. No doubt he’s one hell of a golfer. No doubt he has his moments of generosity with fans; I have heard about them. But he’s an odd duck when he’s trying to blend in with the team, and he has so many potential bulletin-board mistakes. I think he would be a captain’s nightmare.”

The idea of DeChambeau being a captain’s nightmare was dismissed by several of his teammates, all of whom praised his talent and all-in, team-first attitude.

As for Chamblee’s shot at his YouTube numbers, DeChambeau, again, was just happy to have what he believes is a lighthearted back-and-forth that increases the eyeballs on the Ryder Cup and golf. Jousting is, after all, entertainment.

“I think it’s great,” DeChambeau said on Thursday at Bethpage Black when asked about Chamblee questioning his viewership numbers. “I think any time that people can throw stuff at me like that, I enjoy it. I appreciate it. I think it’s good for ultimately the game of golf because it starts to spur conversation on. Ultimately, on YouTube, you have to be verified to be able to subscribe and whatnot. So I don’t think it’s really that honest or true. But it is what it is. I mean, any time you can say something like that and create more buzz for the game of golf, it’s great.”

In short, any publicity is good publicity.

Bryson DeChambeau is not shying away from the spectacle as golf’s matchplay carnival touches down on America’s toughest public course. On the eve of the Ryder Cup, the 32-year-old admitted he sees it as his responsibility, and his privilege, to feed off Bethpage Black’s notoriously rowdy galleries and leverage their energy into a weapon.

“This week is an amazing opportunity,†he said on a soggy Thursday in Farmingdale. “New York fans are incredible. As rowdy and raucous as they get, they still love the game of golf. I couldn’t be more excited to hopefully get them riled up and excited for what’s to come.â€

It is a role he believes he is far better prepared for than four years ago at Whistling Straits, when the United States ran roughshod over Europe 19–9 for their most lopsided Ryder Cup victory in history. Then, he was still navigating the fallout of a highly public feud with Brooks Koepka. His résumé at that point included a single major win, the 2020 US Open, and a reputation for tinkering and petulance. Now, after three years of reinvention – a high-profile jump to LIV Golf, a string of strong major finishes, his outsized success as a YouTuber and almost nuclear charm offensive – DeChambeau insists he is equipped to channel the noise, not be consumed by it. “Four years ago, I wouldn’t have been as open or ready,†he reflected. “The experience helps. Hopefully I can use that to the best of my ability and hit some great shots when it matters most.â€

Missing the last Ryder Cup in Rome remains a sore point. “It sucked,†he admitted on Thursday. “I wanted to be there. Didn’t play well enough in the majors. Knew what I was up against when I went to LIV … but seeing the guys lose really put a fire in my stomach. I wanted to make the team this time around.†He likened it to another painful absence: being forced out of the Tokyo Olympics after contracting Covid, which he called “a pretty big shot to the heartâ€. Those moments, he said, left him determined to treat a Ryder Cup return as “a passion projectâ€.

That determination paid off. Though LIV golfers have fewer routes to qualify, his results in the majors – including the kind of prodigious driving that makes him a tailor-made fit for Bethpage’s 7,352-yard brute – punched his ticket. “Making this team was A1,†he said. “It was the thing I wanted to do most, represent my country.â€

For a player once caricatured as golf’s mad scientist, more loner than teammate, DeChambeau has relished the camaraderie this time. “The amount of calls I got when I was on the team from players was amazing,†he said. “It made me more passionate and excited to be a part of what we can accomplish this week.†Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin, who played practice rounds with him on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, praised his energy and even teased that he managed to outdrive DeChambeau once. “He’s been awesome to have on this team,†Griffin said. “He’s unique, but a huge asset.â€

That duality – the eccentric technician who breaks out a protractor on the greens and the unlikely crowd-pleaser who engages in mid-round banter with the galleries – has come to define him. As recently as 2021, his online presence barely existed. He was a polarizing figure in the golf world even before going full heel by defecting to the Saudi-backed LIV tour. He publicly ripped his equipment manufacturer, made brazen proclamations of neutering Augusta and engaged in a petty feud with Koepka, all of which incrementally cost him fan support. Now, with more than 2.4 million YouTube subscribers, he has become a crossover figure who draws kids to the autograph line as readily as he impresses the diehards with ball speed. Teammate Harris English admitted being baffled by the digital world until DeChambeau gave him a crash course at the opening ceremony. “That’s his plan,†English said. “Growing the game as much as possible, relating to kids, bringing them into golf. I think that’s really cool.â€

Not everyone is convinced. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has dismissed DeChambeau as “a captain’s nightmareâ€, questioning whether his online following – slingshotted into the stratosphere by a viral video of a round with Donald Trump – is authentic and suggesting he is more focused on content than competition. DeChambeau shrugged it off. “Any time people can throw stuff at me like that, I enjoy it. It spurs conversation. And if it creates more buzz for golf, that’s great.â€

Trump himself will attend Friday’s opening session, just days after he lashed out at European leaders in a UN broadside, becoming the first sitting president to appear at a Ryder Cup. DeChambeau, who remains a darling of the American right, sees that presence as another lever to stir the crowd. “I hope he will inspire us to victory,†he said. “He’ll be a great force for us to get a lot of people on our side. It’s going to be an electric environment.â€

That line will divide opinion, as the Ryder Cup often has. For decades, the event has mirrored politics and national moods: the chest-thumping War on the Shore in 1991, the Brookline celebrations of 1999, the confrontation between Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay’s caddie in Rome two years ago. Bethpage Black, the Long Island track with its history of heckling and hostility, offers another combustible stage. This week, as America continues to reel from political violence at home, it offers a fleeting chance for unity with Republicans and Democrats each yearning for the same red numbers to fill the scoreboard.

DeChambeau knows he will be one of its central actors, not only because of his drives but because of his persona. His rivalry with McIlroy has turned into a subplot: McIlroy accusing him of seeking attention, DeChambeau threatening to “chirp†back. Yet he was careful on Thursday to stress respect. “Rivalries are good for the game,†he said. “I have the ultimate respect for Rory. Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. He’s a fierce competitor, a great competitor.â€

Still, he frames himself less as lightning rod than support system. “Whether it’s emotionally or leadership, it’s more about pumping people up, giving good energy out there,†he said. “Helping people realize why we are playing this week is a top priority for me.â€

That blend – the entertainer signing autographs till the queues thinned in Thursday’s drizzle, the math prodigy explaining single-length irons, the partisan cheerleader and champion of the Maga movement – makes DeChambeau the rare figure who seems as likely to rile as to inspire. In a competition defined by noise and jingoism, he is ready to meet the moment head-on. “I just want to be part of this team,†he said. “This has been a mission project for me. Hopefully I can provide some fun stuff this week and hopefully we can get that Cup back.â€

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — If there is a brewing rivalry between Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, then the Ryder Cup could be a perfect setting for another dramatic duel.

While both star golfers downplayed any animosity between them, DeChambeau and McIlroy also acknowledged that being matched up against each other this week at Bethpage Black would be welcomed.

“Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. It would be a lot of fun,” DeChambeau said Thursday. “Is it going to happen? It’s not likely. I mean, maybe once. You never know.”

“If I come up against Bryson at some point, I think that’s great,” McIlroy said. “I think that’s wonderful for the championship and wonderful for us, as well, in some ways.”

DeChambeau, when asked earlier this year about potentially facing McIlroy in the Ryder Cup after the two were paired in the final round of the Masters Tournament, said that he intended to “chirp in [McIlroy’s] ear” at Bethpage.

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McIlroy responded to those comments last month during an interview with the Guardian.

“I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people,” McIlroy told the Guardian. “That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others.”

When asked about DeChambeau on Thursday, McIlroy joked that he had promised European captain Luke Donald that he would talk only about the European team.

“It’s so easy to play into narratives this week and to get swept up in this whole rivalries and Ryder Cup and whatever it is,” McIlroy said. “All I want to do is go and try and put blue points on the board. I don’t care who it’s against.”

As DeChambeau pointed out, whether it’s in foursomes, four-balls or Sunday singles, there’s no guarantee that the two will face off given the fact that captains select their teams and order ahead of knowing the opponent’s choices.

“I don’t know if there’s planning behind the scenes or whatnot,” DeChambeau said with a smile.

Even if they don’t face off against one another, the fact that DeChambeau and McIlroy are on opposite sides this week is emblematic of the kind of relationship they have had during the sport’s biggest events as of late.

Aside from Scheffler, no two players have performed better in major championships over the past two years than DeChambeau and McIlroy. In the process, their paths haven’t just crossed; they have met each other head-on.

The two finished first and second in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, where McIlroy’s missed short putts on two of the last three holes and DeChambeau’s miracle bunker shot on 18 gave the LIV Golf star his second major victory.

This year at the Masters, both played in Sunday’s final group. And as McIlroy emerged with the green jacket and the career Grand Slam, DeChambeau was quick to point out that McIlroy did not talk to him the entire round. McIlroy responded that he didn’t know what DeChambeau expected.

On Monday, DeChambeau was asked by Golf Channel if he had a response to McIlroy’s recent comments to the Guardian.

“Whatever Rory says and whatnot is great. He didn’t mean anything by it,” DeChambeau said. “I’m excited. I hope we can have some good banter back and forth and if not, and he wants to do what he’s doing, great, no problem. Crowd’s going to be on our side.”

McIlroy, who is playing in his eighth Ryder Cup, has dealt with an away crowd several times and said he is prepared to manage an environment he doesn’t typically have to deal with.

“I’m very lucky, I get a lot of support pretty much everywhere I go when I play golf, and it’s going to feel a little different for me this week,” McIlroy said. “But that’s to be expected. … I feel at times in the Ryder Cup, I have engaged too much with that, too much with the crowd.

“But then there’s times where I haven’t engaged enough. So it’s really just trying to find the balance of using that energy from the crowd to fuel your performance.”

With competition starting Friday, the crowds on hand at Bethpage so far this week have been rallying around the U.S. team and specifically DeChambeau, who has given them plenty to cheer about.

“I think rivalries are good for the game of golf,” DeChambeau said. “And albeit I have the ultimate respect for Rory as a player. It’s going to be fun to go up against him this week.”

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — It is just past 3 p.m. on Tuesday of Ryder Cup week, and the mostly-empty driving range at Bethpage State Park has transformed into a stage.

The spectacle is standing room only, taking place on the far left side of the range where a red-faced Bryson DeChambeau is launching balls into the Long Island sky in search of the magic number: 200 mph ball speed. There seems to be no obvious purpose to this quest beyond what DeChambeau is hyperaware of as he does it: the crowd around him wants to see it.

“Rory can’t do that, Bryson!” a fan calls out.

“I heard he’s nervous!” shouts another. 191.

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This is what DeChambeau’s stump speech looks like, his every lash at the ball a type of creed he knows how to propagate. 193. With a giant screen left of the range showing exactly how far and fast each ball is going, there’s drama in every swing. 196. The congregation only gets louder. A “USA” chant begins. At one point, a smiling J.J. Spaun walks over to DeChambeau and joins in.

“Come on, show me something,” Spaun says. DeChambeau doesn’t respond. He just swings again. 198. 199.

The two-time U.S. Open winner isn’t just leaning into it all; he’s feeding off of it, determined to give them what they want. DeChambeau lets another one rip and the recoil nearly knocks him off his feet. 200 mph. 361-yard carry. Turning back toward the crowd, he flashes a wry smile and shrugs.

“Bryson, this is his arena,” Xander Schauffele said. “If he views himself as a gladiator golfer, this is as good as it gets.”

This will be the third Ryder Cup that Bryson DeChambeau has played in. Harry How/Getty Images

The Ryder Cup presents a unique scenario: DeChambeau’s persona — call it antics, histrionics, showmanship or an acquired taste — is tailor-made for this week. The sport’s most dramatic event presents a setting that allows DeChambeau to be the most unabashed version of himself, a combination of towering thespian and crowd-pleasing rock star. Could that translate to a winning formula?

“I was telling Keegan, I feel like Bryson could be like the difference for us, in a strange way, from the standpoint of feeding into these fans, the style of golf he plays,” Schauffele said. “I think his points might hit harder than my points.”

When DeChambeau stepped up to the first tee at Whistling Straits in 2021 and drove the green, the way in which he ignited the crowd and went on to win that match is remembered with fondness to this day.

Since that dominant 19-9 American victory, that kind of frenzy around DeChambeau has only skyrocketed. Despite leaving for LIV in 2022 and not being on the 2023 Ryder Cup team that lost in Rome, his popularity was at an all-time high after winning the 2024 U.S. Open and continuing to appeal to fans online with his YouTube channel.

It’s no secret that DeChambeau takes every opportunity to promote and mention YouTube and how, in his mind, it has both helped his game and helped this notion of “growing the game.” But this character pivot — this evolution — to some, feels inauthentic and self-centered.

“Bryson plays most of his golf on a tour where he mostly could be in the witness protection program,” Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said Monday during the network’s coverage of the Ryder Cup. “Nobody watches, he doesn’t get any attention. So when he does come out, there’s a bit of a circus-barker element to it to drum up some interest for himself.”

Other players have bristled at his approach in the past (see: Brooks Koepka) or in the present, including Rory McIlroy, who did not speak to DeChambeau at the Masters when they paired together for the final round. Recently, DeChambeau said that he would be “chirping in [Rory’s] ear” this week at Bethpage. McIlroy’s response?

“I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people,” he said.

Whether it’s real or facetious, whether you like it or not, or whether it’s for attention or self-satisfaction, there’s no doubt that DeChambeau has become an exhibitionist who plays the part well. This version of DeChambeau — the swashbuckling, raucous, people-pleasing, gallery-interacting, I’ll-sign-autographs-until-my-hand-falls-off version of him — projects a vibe that, depending on which side you’re rooting for, can come off as either exhilarating or grating.

“I’ve always enjoyed Bryson,” the typically temperate Russell Henley said. “Explosive is a great word for how he plays … I think we operate a lot differently on the golf course, and he plays a much different game than I do.”

In some ways, Bryson’s approach is antithetical to the way golf, especially 72-hole stroke play golf, has come to be. Most players are normally quiet, keeping to themselves throughout a round while avoiding showing any emotion, good or bad. DeChambeau often processes, feels and reacts out loud and through his body language. Watching him chart his way around a golf course by smashing 340-yard drives and hitting irons that are all the same length is impossibly compelling. Now, throw match play and playing for team and country into the mix, and DeChambeau’s method suddenly becomes a rare commodity.

Bryson DeChambeau finished T-10 or better in three of four majors this season. ERIK S LESSER/EPA/Shutterstock

“His golfing ability alone is an X factor for our team, but also, he’s a really fiery player,” U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley said. “When you come to a Ryder Cup, you don’t want guys to try to be something they’re not. We have a lot of calm, mellow guys, so we need the energy from Bryson, and he brings that every day.”

In a team event with just two sides and one goal, the Americans are far more inclined to embrace everything that comes with the DeChambeau experience. It helps that, all week and even going back to the Ryder Cup boot camp in Napa, players have praised DeChambeau for the effort he has put in to be around the team despite playing on a different tour.

“He’s made every effort possible and been incredible in the team room,” Bradley said.

And yet managing that energy he brings is crucial too. Despite the fact that he and this event feel like a match made in heaven, his record is a middling 2-3-1 and 0-2 in foursomes. The decision of who DeChambeau will play with has been highly anticipated. Chamblee called him a “captain’s nightmare” and an “odd duck” in reference to Bradley’s task of finding a match for him, while Scottie Scheffler, who paired with him in 2021, called him a “great partner.”

Through three days of practice rounds, DeChambeau has played alongside the same three players: Ben Griffin, Cam Young and Justin Thomas. Griffin, in particular, has made a lot of sense as a partner: a rookie bursting with confidence who may be able to draft off the way DeChambeau interacts with the crowd.

“I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that’s going to be rooting for Team USA,” DeChambeau said after this year’s Open Championship.

Glimpses of what that dance is going to look like are starting to show themselves. As he has stalked the grounds at Bethpage, DeChambeau has, more so than normal, engaged fans at every turn. On Tuesday, after finishing a nine-hole practice round, he strutted over to the first tee and it was as if someone began to turn up the volume of the crowd.

Bryson DeChambeau tees off on No. 1 during a Ryder Cup practice round. Michael Reaves/PGA of America via Getty Images

DeChambeau took out his driver and lined up aimed right toward Bethpage Black’s first green, which is hidden by a small forest of trees in the distance. He hit five balls at full speed, asking assistant captain Gary Woodland and other U.S. team staffers — who had a spotter by the green — if the ball had made it. DeChambeau hit another.

“Give the people what they want!” one fan yelled. He asked for one more ball.

After a pause, it seemed DeChambeau might be done, but he gave the crowd a small glimpse, raised his eyebrow and then a single index finger as if to ask permission to hit another. The noise hit a crescendo again as if a band had just come back on stage for an encore.

“Are you not entertained?” another fan asked.

The carry number they needed, DeChambeau’s caddie Greg Bodine later shared, was 360 yards. Only one of DeChambeau’s seven shots made it onto the front edge of the green, but it almost didn’t matter, especially to those who witnessed it. The showman had given the Tuesday crowd its show. Come Friday, as the United States will try to harness his energy, DeChambeau’s show will only get bigger.

“The people love him,” Scheffler said. “I’m excited to unleash him this week.”