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Bryson DeChambeau Defended by U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley amid Ryder Cup Criticism

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Bryson DeChambeau has faced a good bit of criticism ahead of the Ryder Cup, but United States team captain Keegan Bradley came to his defense.

Bradley said DeChambeau’s “energy” is needed in an event like the Ryder Cup.

“He’s a really fiery player,” Bradley said Tuesday, per ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti. “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.”

DeChambeau, who is the only member of the United States’ team that competes in LIV rather than the PGA Tour, has been criticized throughout his career, witch much of that criticism being because of his YouTube channel.

Uggetti noted that Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee on Monday called DeChambeau a “captain’s nightmare” who cares only for “interest for himself.”

But DeChambeau’s teammates have his back heading into the event, which begins Friday. Along with Bradley, Scottie Scheffler had high praise for DeChambeau.

“I think Bryson is a tremendous competitor. He’s a great partner as well. I partnered with him in 2021 at Whistling Straits and he was a tremendous guy to be out to be golf course with. He’s a great guy and a good friend and he’s been great in our team room,” Scheffler said, per CBS Sports’ Robby Kalland. “He brings a lot of energy, the people love him, and I think he loves the opportunity to be able to represent his country. He’s a multiple-time U.S. Open winner, and that means a lot to him. Being an American I think means a lot to him as well. I’m excited to kind of unleash him this week.”

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Chamblee calls DeChambeau ‘captain’s nightmare’

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Brandel Chamblee took a shot at one of the Americans’ best players — and top entertainers — days before the 45th Ryder Cup kicks off at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Chamblee, the outspoken Golf Channel analyst, called two-time major champ Bryson DeChambeau an “odd duck” and that his unique personality makes him a “captain’s nightmare” for team events like this one.

Chamblee’s comments came immediately after DeChambeau spoke with Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis to respond to comments Rory McIlroy made earlier this week, which were made only after McIlroy was asked to comment on what DeChambeau said of him this summer. (Still following?)

At the “Happy Gilmore 2” premiere in New York City in July, People asked DeChambeau about McIlroy and the Ryder Cup, which led to DeChambeau saying: “I’ll be chirping in [McIlroy’s] ear this time. Now, if we go up against each other, I mean, you can be sure of it.”

The Guardian’s Ewen Murray met with McIlroy at this year’s Tour Championship and asked about those comments (part of a lengthy interview published this week) and McIlroy said, “I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people. That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others.”

Now officially on-site for the Ryder Cup on Monday, DeChambeau was asked about McIlroy’s rebuttal, to which he said, “All I’m trying to do is inspire kids on YouTube, and we have amassed quite a big audience on YouTube and I’m continuing to focus on that train of thought, and whatever Rory says and whatnot, granted I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m excited. I hope we can have some good banter back and forth.”

Chamblee, however, took issue with DeChambeau’s comments — and also took a pointed jab at DeChambeau’s YouTube audience. Although he seemed more irked by what DeChambeau didn’t say.

“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.”

DeChambeau, the lone player on the U.S. side from LIV, a league Chamblee has often criticized, locked up the sixth and final automatic-qualifying spot for the U.S., an impressive feat since LIV events don’t offer World Ranking or Ryder Cup qualifying points. That means he had to earn his way in via major championships, and over the last two years he finished top 10 in six of the eight. That included his second U.S. Open title, when he beat McIlroy down the stretch to win the 2024 Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Less than a year later, at the 2025 Masters, McIlroy and DeChambeau were in the final pairing when McIlroy won to complete the career Grand Slam.

DeChambeau, however, hasn’t yet found the same success at a Ryder Cup. In his two previous appearances (2018 and 2021) he’s compiled a 2-3-1 record, which includes an 0-2 foursomes record.

That foursomes record, not to mention DeChambeau’s eccentric personality, is likely what Chamblee’s referencing when he says DeChambeau is a captain’s nightmare. The alternate-shot format is tricky, especially since it’s important to match things like golf ball and personality.

“This is a tough thing for him, to come into guys that he doesn’t see every day, full of PGA Tour players, but he’s done an exceptional job of making the extra effort,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said of DeChambeau on Tuesday. “… He’s made every effort possible and been incredible in the team room. I think Bryson, just his golfing ability alone is an X-factor for our team, but also, he’s a really fiery player. 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 practice rounds, in the team room, and hopefully in the tournament competition too.”

The Ryder Cup storylines are heating up — and we’re still three days away from this thing starting.

Golf

Bryson DeChambeau backed by U.S. Ryder Cup team amid criticism

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Bryson DeChambeau has been the recipient of harsh criticism ahead of this week’s Ryder Cup, so United States captain Keegan Bradley went to bat for the polarizing LIV Golf star.

Bradley said he believes DeChambeau, the only U.S. player not on the PGA Tour, will be an X factor for the the Americans — not just with his play, but with the energy he is set to bring to the home crowd at Bethpage Black.

“He’s a really fiery player,” Bradley said Tuesday. “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.”

Bradley’s comments came less than 24 hours after Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee ripped DeChambeau as a “captain’s nightmare” and accused the two-time U.S. Open champion of drumming up “interest for himself” by promoting his YouTube channel rather than talking about the Ryder Cup.

“Bryson plays most of his golf on a tour where he mostly could be in the witness protection program,” Chamblee said Monday during the Golf Channel’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.”

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European star Rory McIlroy also took a recent shot at DeChambeau, saying the “only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people.”

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, said that he intended to “chirp in [McIlroy’s] ear” at Bethpage.

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 Monday by Golf Channel if he had a response to McIlroy’s comments, DeChambeau tried to take the high road.

“All I’m trying to do is inspire kids on YouTube,” DeChambeau said. “Whatever Rory says and whatnot is great. He didn’t mean anything by it. 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.”

DeChambeau is set to play in his third Ryder Cup this week after not making the team in 2023. It will mark the first time he’s playing in a Ryder Cup as a member of LIV Golf.

DeChambeau’s U.S. teammates have so far heaped praise on him this week, making note about how much he’s done to be involved with the team even though he doesn’t play on the PGA Tour.

“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,” Xander Schauffele said Tuesday. “He’s been great in the team room.”

“I think what people don’t realize, he’s made a huge effort being a part of this team, flying to team dinners, showing up weeks that he’s playing on the LIV to where we are on the PGA Tour just to be a part of that team,” J.J. Spaun added. “Given his personality and his brand, he’s great with the fans. I think that’s going to be a huge attribute to the team this week.”

Bradley noted the challenge DeChambeau faces of integrating himself into a team full of PGA Tour players, added that “he’s done an exceptional job of making the extra effort.”

Scheffler, who paired with DeChambeau in 2021 at Whistling Straits, called DeChambeau a “tremendous competitor” and a “great partner.” The world No. 1 also noted that the kind of frenzy DeChambeau will be able to create is going to play a key role in their attempt at beating the Europeans.

“He brings a lot of energy, the people love him,” Scheffler said. “I’m excited to unleash him this week.”