Bryson/JT unleashed as lead-off pair
DeChambeau/Thomas vs. Rahm/Hatton portends early combustion; Notes, Stray Shots
Bryson DeChambeau will bring the energy for Team USA (Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
FARMINGDALE, NY — “Gladiator golfer” is what Xander Schauffele calls his teammate who tried to drive the dogleg first-hole green in Tuesday’s practice round and saluted the howling crowds with his best Russell Crowe “are you not entertained?” impression.
The “X-factor” said captain Keegan Bradley of the most popular YouTube golfer in the world.
“I’m excited to kind of unleash him this week,” said world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
That unleashing didn’t have to wait long, as Bryson DeChambeau was picked to hit the opening drive in the opening foursomes match with partner Justin Thomas in what promises to be a combustible match against Euro/LIV team of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
“They are both incredible players, but they are both fiery players,” said Bradley. “They are both relishing the opportunity to lead out our team. They are just two guys that thrive in that role.”
DeChambeau said he expects “a tsunami wave of support” on the first tee at 7 a.m.
“Excited and honored,” he said. “Couldn’t ask for a better pairing. Yeah, we’ve got a big responsibility and role. 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.”
The DeChambeau who finally took the podium for his pre-Ryder Cup interview on Thursday was most decidedly on a leash. The most dynamic American figure on the team was definitely coached — as was his European rival Rory McIlroy — to not say anything inflammatory on the eve of the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
It was a bit of a surprise to see DeChambeau get chosen for foursomes considering the alternate shot format has never been a strength. His only prior experience in the format came in his Ryder Cup debut in France in 2018, when he went 0-3 including lopsided foursomes defeats partnering with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods that never made it to the 15th tee.
On the other side is arguably Europe’s best foursomes partnership and Legion XIII teammates on LIV Golf.
“Jon is 4-0 in foursomes, and Tyrrell with him 2-0 from Rome a couple years ago,” said Europe’s captain Luke Donald. “They know how to win. They’re a strong partnership. They get along very well. We’re very happy to send them out first.”
But Bradley wanted DeChambeau in the lead-off match with JT to stoke the partisan crowds instead of serving as a non-competing cheerleader while waiting to be deployed in the afternoon four-balls.
“They bring a spark to our team,” Bradley said. “Bryson has been an incredible teammate in the locker room, and we really want him to lead our team out with Justin on the first match.”
Bryson insists he would have been fine either way.
“It’s about what can we do to give ourselves the best chance to win as a team,” he said. “So if I’m going out tomorrow, great, in the morning. If not, totally understand. I’m here to support no matter what.
“I think anybody that I’m paired with, I’d be excited to play with. I know the team has been awesome. I’ve enjoyed every second of being in the team room. The guys have been incredible. The support that they have given me and vice versa has been emotional for me.”
Team USA’s most fiery duo of DeChambeau and Justin Thomas will lead the charge. (Michael Reaves/PGA of America)
DeChambeau, like McIlroy, refrained from pouring more fuel on their “chirping” fire on Thursday as they both were respectful of their rivals.
“I think rivalries are good for the game of golf, and albeit I have the ultimate respect for Rory as a player,” DeChambeau said. “It’s going to be fun to go up against him this week, whether it’s against him directly or through other players. I think it going to be a fun challenge this week.
“Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. It would be a lot of fun. Is it going to happen? It’s not likely. I mean, maybe once. You never know. … But look, he’s a fierce competitor, a great competitor, but one that I would love the opportunity to play against this week.”
He was also relatively magnanimous regarding his chief antagonist’s — Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee — latest comments on air about DeChambeau padding his 2.43 million following on YouTube with bots. DeChambeau has signed many hundreds of autographs for fans clamoring to be near him all week at Bethpage, which created yet another viral meme: “Brandel will call those fans bots.”
“Did Brandel say something yesterday? I don’t know what it was,” he quipped to laughter from his fans.
“I think any time that people can throw stuff at me like that, I enjoy it,” DeChambeau said of Chamblee’s consistent barbs which included dubbing him a “captain’s nightmare.”
“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.”
DeChambeau admitted that “it sucked” to not make the U.S. team that went to Rome in 2023 after leaving for LIV Golf. It inspired him to play extra hard in the only points qualifying events he could — the majors — to make it on merit and not leave it up to captain Bradley to pick him. It took consistently impressive efforts in majors, including his 2024 U.S. Open win over McIlroy at Pinehurst, to get him here.
“Seeing the guys lose really put a fire in my stomach and wanted to make the team this time around,” he said. “Now we’re here, and we’re a day away from starting probably, if not the most exciting golf event in golf.”
DeChambeau got his first taste of Ryder Cup success at Whistling Straits alongside rookie Scottie Scheffler, going 1-0-1 in two four-ball partnerships together. He added a singles victory over Sergio Garcia in a decisive 19-9 U.S. victory.
But he’s a different player now, more confident and self-assured in his own skin to take on the mantel of being a vocal leader inside the team room and more noticeably out on the course in front of crowds that can’t get enough on him.
“Four years ago, I wouldn’t have been as open or ready, I guess you could say, for this moment,” he said. “You’ll never be fully ready for what’s to come tomorrow or the next few days. But the experience certainly does help. And hopefully I can use that to the best of my ability and hit some great shots when it matters most.
“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to hopefully get them riled up and, you know, excited for what’s to come.”
Despite the narrative Chamblee keeps pushing, DeChambeau has been welcomed with open arms by his fellow Americans as the only LIV representative in the U.S. team room.
“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, flying to Napa, flying to Atlanta, doing things that are really difficult with the schedule that he has,” said Bradley. “He’s made every effort possible and been incredible in the team room.”
His teammates believe in what he brings to the table.
“He brings a lot of energy, the people love him, and I think he loves the opportunity to be able to represent his country,” said Scheffler, who had no qualms partnering with DeChambeau in 2021.
“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,” said Schauffele.
“I’m excited to sort of see what he can do, and hopefully get a lot of points up on the board because his points might hit harder than maybe my points, for example, just because of how he might celebrate and get these fans into this tournament quickly.”
Said Bradley: “We have a lot of calm, mellow guys, so we need the energy from Bryson.”
Friday morning at Bethpage Black, he gets unleashed.
Captain America Keegan Bradley ran the 18th hole carrying the flag (Maddie Meyers/PGA of America)
Ryder Cup preview notes
Courtesy Elias Sports
Each of the last five Ryder Cups, dating back to 2014 at Gleneagles, has been won by the home side. That matches the longest such streak of its kind. Each of the first five Ryder Cups, from 1927 through 1935, were won by the team protecting home soil.
Europe has won on American soil three times in the last 30 years (1995 at Oak Hill CC, 2004 at Oakland Hills CC and 2012 at Medinah CC). The last time that the U.S. won on European soil was in 1993 at The Belfry.
Bethpage Black will be the seventh venue to host a U.S. Open (2002, 2009), PGA Championship (2019) and a Ryder Cup. It joins Medinah, Pinehurst No. 2, Hazeltine National, Oak Hill, Oakland Hills and Scioto.
Luke Donald is the first person, for either side, to serve as captain in consecutive Ryder Cups since Scotsman Bernard Gallacher did so for the European team in 1991, 1993 and 1995. No American has served as captain in each of back-to-back Ryder Cups since Ben Hogan in 1947 and 1949.
Luke Donald will look to become just the second European captain to win back to back Ryder Cups, joining Tony Jacklin (1985, 1987). The only American captains to win consecutive Ryder Cups are Walter Hagen (1935, 1937) and Ben Hogan (1947, 1949).
Team Europe is the first team to return 11 players from the previous Ryder Cup. The only change for the team in 2025 compared to 2023 is Rasmus Højgaard, in place of his twin brother Nicolai. The previous record was 10 returning players from the previous Ryder Cup, by Team Europe in 1973. (Note that only nine of the 10 returning European players saw action in the 1973 Ryder Cup, as John Garner was held out by captain Bernard Hunt because of recent dubious form).
This will be the second Ryder Cup held in the state of New York, which hosted the 1995 edition at Oak Hill in Rochester. The only other American states to have hosted multiple Ryder Cups are California (1955 at Thunderbird CC and 1959 at El Dorado CC), Massachusetts (1927 at Worcester Country Club and 1999 at The Country Club) and Ohio (1931 at Scioto and 1987 at Muirfield Village).
Keegan Bradley won the Travelers Championship in June. He will be the first man since 1963, on either side, to win an official PGA Tour event and captain a Ryder Cup team in the same calendar year. Arnold Palmer, who was a playing captain for Team USA at Atlanta Athletic Club in 1963, won seven times that year prior to the Ryder Cup, including during the previous weekend at Whitemarsh Open Invitational in Pennsylvania.
Bradley, who turned 39 in June, is the youngest Ryder Cup captain (for either side) since then-39-year-old Tony Jacklin led the European side in 1983. The last man to captain the American side prior to turning 40 was Arnold Palmer in 1963 (34 years old, playing captain).
Bradley, currently No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the first man ever to captain a Ryder Cup team while ranking inside the top 20. Prior to this year, the highest ranking Ryder Cup captain (for either side) was Tom Watson, who was No. 27 at the time of the 1993 Ryder Cup.
The last time the Ryder Cup was played on American soil, Team USA won 19-9 at Whistling Straits in 2021. It was the most points garnered by either side in a Ryder Cup under the current 28-point total format, which began in 1979.
In recent years, the Ryder Cup has been a relatively lopsided affair. Each of the last five Ryder Cups have been decided by a margin of five or more points, including Team Europe’s 16.5-11.5 victory in Italy two years ago. Over the 13 Ryder Cups that immediately preceded this recent streak (1987 to 2012), only three were decided by five or more points.
The prevailing belief seems to be that the Europeans dominate the foursomes format (alternate shot). The truth is that the home team has won the foursomes battle in each of the last nine Ryder Cups. Team Europe held the advantage in 2006 (3-1-4 in Ireland), 2010 (4-3-1 in Wales), 2014 (6-0-2 in Scotland), 2018 (6-2-0 in France) and 2023 (7-1-0) in Italy. Team USA held the advantage in 2008 (3-2-3 in Kentucky), 2012 (5-3-0 in Illinois), 2016 (5-2-1 in Minnesota) and 2021 (6-2-0 in Wisconsin).
Overall, since 2006, the home team has a record of 45-16-11 in foursomes: Team Europe is 26-7-7 at home; and Team USA is 19-9-4 at home over this time.
Team Europe took seven out of a possible eight points in foursomes play in 2023. It matched the most lopsided advantage for either team under that format in any Ryder Cup. The Americans forged a 7-1-0 record in that alternate shot configuration in 1975 and the Europeans held a 6-0-2 advantage in foursomes in 2014.
The Americans lost the cumulative four-ball battle in 2010 (2-4-2) but have not lost that battle in any Ryder Cup since then — not even in their lopsided loss in 2023:
The European side had a historic start to the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy. They swept the opening (foursomes) sessions, 4-0-0, and did not lose a match in the four-ball session that followed (three ties and one victory). It was the first time in history that a team did not lose a single match over the first two sessions of a Ryder Cup.
The American side has seven players currently ranked among the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking. That is the second-highest number for either side since the inception of the OWGR in 1986. The Americans had eight such players in 2021, resulting in a 19-9 blow-out victory in Wisconsin.
There will be just three players currently outside the top 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking competing in this year’s Ryder Cup, all on Team Europe: Matthew Fitzpatrick (29), Rasmus Højgaard (58) and Jon Rahm (73). It will be the first time, since the inception of the rankings in 1986, that at least 22 players of the top 25 players in the world will be competing at a Ryder Cup. The previous record was 21, set in 2018.
The average world ranking for Team USA and Team Europe this year are 11.2 and 23.7, respectively. Since the inception of the OWGR in 1986 and including 2025, Team USA has had a better average world ranking than the Europeans in 17 of 19 Ryder Cups. The exceptions were 2006 and 2008.
The U.S. team’s average age will be 31 years, 321 days on September 26, 2025; Team Europe will be 32 years, 199 days old. It is the second Ryder Cup in a row that both teams are under 33 years old on average. Prior to 2023, the last time both teams were under 33 years old on average was in 1979.
The last time the Ryder Cup was played on American soil was four years ago, at Whistling Straits. At the time, Scottie Scheffler was a Ryder Cup rookie and had zero PGA Tour wins to his credit. He now has 19 official victories, including four major championships.
The oldest player on the U.S. side is Russell Henley (36 years, 169 days on Friday). The last time that every player on the American side was Henley’s age or younger was in 1937, when Ed Dudley was the team’s elder statesman at 36 years, 130 days old.
It is the third Ryder Cup in a row in which no player on the American side is 40 years old or older (Brian Harman, 36, was the oldest American in 2023 and Dustin Johnson, 37, was the oldest American in 2021). From 1971 to 2018 — a span of 22 consecutive Ryder Cups — at least one American Ryder Cup participant was 40 years old or older.
Including Justin Rose this year (45 years old), each of the last 12 European Ryder Cup teams has had at least one player beyond his 40th birthday.
Cameron Young is the youngest current Team USA member, at 28 years, 144 days old. The last time that Team USA did not have a player under the age of 28 on its team was in 2006, when then 30-year old Vaughn Taylor was the youngest player on the team.
The Americans have not lost the cumulative Four-ball sessions since 2010. They went 5-3-0 under that format in 2012, 4-2-2 in 2014 and 4-4-0 in both 2016 and 2018, 4-2-2 in 2021 and 3-2-3 in 2023.
The U.S. team will be fielding four Ryder Cup rookies this season (Spaun, Henley, Griffin, Young). Cumulatively, American Ryder Cup rookies have had a winning record in each of the last six Ryder Cups and are 47-25-10 overall since 2012.
Rasmus Højgaard is the only Ryder Cup rookie on the European side. Over the last three Ryder Cups played on American soil, Team Europe rookies have a cumulative record of 9-20-3 (.328 win percentage). European rookies went 1-8-2 at Whistling Straits in 2021.
Six of the 12 Americans have won at least one major championship (Scheffler, Schauffele, Spaun, Thomas, Morikawa, DeChambeau), while five of the European players have at least one major on his resume (McIlroy, Rahm, Rose, Fitzpatrick and Lowry). This will be the 44th consecutive Ryder Cup in which the U.S. side has as many or more major winners at the time than the Europeans. The only exception was the inaugural event (1927), when the Americans had two such players (Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen) while Great Britain had three (George Duncan, Ted Ray and Arthur Havers).
Five members of the American side and seven members of the European side competed at the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage. Here are their results:
The Europeans won the opening session in 2023, four points to zero. That ended a drought of seven consecutive Ryder Cups in which Team Europe either trailed or were tied at the end of the first session. That did not necessarily translate to victories for Team USA, having blown a first-session lead three times during this stretch. Conversely, Team Europe has won each of the last four Ryder Cups in which they led at the end of the first session (2002, 2004, 2006 and 2023).
Dating back to 1991, teams that earned at least three points (out of four) in the first session (Friday morning) have a Ryder Cup record of 7-1. A team has earned at least three points in the opening session in each of the last four Ryder Cups.
Six members of Team Europe have appeared in at least three prior Ryder Cups: McIlroy (7 prior appearances), Rose (6), Fleetwood (3), Hatton (3), Fitzpatrick (3) and Rahm (3). The only player on Team USA with at least three prior Ryder Cup appearances is Justin Thomas, who will be making his fourth Ryder Cup appearance this week.
The last Ryder Cup in which no Team USA member had appeared in more than three previous Ryder Cups was in 1967.
Stray Shots: Chirping time is over
By Peter Kaufman
1. Stop chirping at Bryson: In the last eight majors, Bryson DeChambeau he has six top 10s including a win and two seconds. He is one of three players folks will cross the street to watch along with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Yes, he plays on LIV Golf but that has not hampered his performance when the gun goes off at major events. Anti-LIV pundits (we’re looking at you Brandel Chamblee) are throwing the baby out with the bathwater when they criticize DeChambeau’s game and talent — and the implications for his Ryder Cup performance.