U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley said Bryson DeChambeau will make Ryder Cup team regardless of qualifying

Yahoo

2 days ago

Bryson DeChambeau is going to be a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team this fall no matter what.
U.S. captain Keegan Bradley texted Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig after the British Open on Sunday and confirmed that, even if DeChambeau falls out of the top six in the Ryder Cup standings, he'd use a captain's pick on him to ensure that DeChambeau gets to compete with the Americans at Bethpage Black.
'Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder cup,' Bradley said. 'He brings so much. He brings energy, passion, but most importantly, he's one of the best players on the planet.'
DeChambeau posted a final-round 64 on Sunday at Royal Portrush to finish T10 at the British Open. He's now finished inside the top 10 at three of the four major championships this season. But, as DeChambeau competes with LIV Golf, he's no longer eligible for points on the U.S. Ryder Cup standings. He is currently fifth on that list.
The top six golfers on that list after the BMW Championship next month will earn automatic spots on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. As DeChambeau holds just a slight lead over Justin Thomas on the list, and there are several other PGA Tour members lurking just outside the cutoff, it's very possible that he could fall out of that top group.
After the top six players are locked in, Bradley will then make his six captain's picks to round out his 12-man team. At that point, if necessary, he'd use one on DeChambeau.
DeChambeau said he spoke with Bradley 'briefly' at Royal Portrush this week, and that he 'put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational.' While he didn't reveal what that message was, DeChambeau is clearly in and ready to go for the Ryder Cup.
'It meant a lot,' he said. 'This year's no joke. We're tired of it. We're tired of losing.'
DeChambeau, after making the jump to LIV Golf, was not on the United States' team for the last Ryder Cup in 2023. They fell to Europe that year in Rome. He has played on two previous teams, however, including the 2021 squad that won in Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
The Americans haven't lost at home since 2012, when the Europeans edged out a one-point win at Medinah Country Club. With DeChambeau now on board, he's hoping to bring an extra push with him to New York in September.
'I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that's going to be rooting for Team USA,' he said.