Bryson DeChambeau has been a magnet for hot takes and controversy for years. The 2025 Ryder Cup is no exception, but his teammates seem to have his back.
A clip went viral Monday in which Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee called DeChambeau a “captain’s nightmare” and even accused him of using bots to inflate the success of his video content.
DeChambeau, a two-time major champion who boasts more than 2.4 million followers on his YouTube channel, left the PGA Tour in 2022 to join LIV Golf but still performed well enough in points-earning events to automatically qualify for a spot on the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team. It’ll be his third appearance in the biennial event in which he owns a 2-3-1 record all-time.
Of course, much discussion ensued online when the Chamblee clip began circulating, so reporters were sure to ask the members of Team USA about their thoughts on DeChambeau during Tuesday’s media availability.
Here’s what they had to say.
Scottie Scheffler is excited to ‘unleash’ Bryson DeChambeau at the Ryder Cup
“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,” Scottie Scheffler said.
“Like I said, 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.”
Xander Schauffele says DeChambeau ‘could be the difference’ for Team USA at Bethpage
“When you look at Ryder Cups and how they shake down, it can kind of seem very different or distant at times when you win or lose one,” said Xander Schauffele.
“But I was telling Keegan, I feel like Bryson could be the difference for us in a strange way, from the standpoint of feeding into these fans, the style of golf he plays. And also how — I’ll make a putt, and you won’t see too much of a reaction. That’s just who I am. That’s kind of how I operate. Maybe it might change this week, who knows. These Ryder Cups bring out the best in you at times.
“But Bryson, this is his arena. If he views himself as a gladiator golfer, this is as good as it gets. He’s been awesome. He’s been awesome in the team room. I’m excited to see what he can do and hopefully get a lot of points up on the board because his points might hit harder than my points, for example, just because of how he might celebrate and get these fans into this tournament quickly.”
Russell Henley calls Bryson DeChambeau a ‘great teammate’
“Obviously, he’s a great player. ‘Explosive’ is a great word for how he plays. I’ve just really enjoyed Bryson. At Greensboro in 2021, I was leading the tournament and I choked it away, and the next week or two weeks after, I saw Bryson in Baltimore at Caves Valley, and he walked up and said, ‘Hey, man, keep your head up, that happens to everybody, you’re playing some great golf.’ And it just encouraged me. I’ll always remember that,” Russell Henley said.
“Obviously I haven’t played a lot of golf with him the last couple years, but I’ve always enjoyed Bryson, and it’s been really cool getting to pick his brain this week. I think we operate a lot differently on the golf course, and he plays a lot different game than I do, so sitting with him last night at dinner, it was cool getting to ask him what he’s been doing in the practice rounds and stuff. He’s just a great teammate. It’s been cool.”
Patrick Cantlay on Bryson DeChambeau: ‘I’m glad he’s on our side’
“We’ve played on a few team events together, Presidents Cups and the [2021] Ryder Cup. He’s great in team events. I was watching him hit drivers on the range the other day, and I’m glad he’s on our side. He’s a showman out there. I think he’s going to get the crowd fired up. It’s really great anytime he’s on these teams because he’s such a fantastic player,” said Patrick Cantlay.
J.J. Spaun on Bryson DeChambeau’s efforts to embed himself with U.S. Ryder Cup team
“I think what people don’t realize is that he’s made a huge effort being a part of this team. Flying to team dinners, showing up weeks that he’s [not] playing on the LIV to where we are on the PGA Tour just to be a part of that team, and he’s done a great job. He’s got his own thing going on, and it’s easy for [the rest of] us to get together because we’re all playing week in and week out together,” said J.J. Spaun.
“I think he’s done a huge job of trying to insert himself on this team. 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.”
Captain Keegan Bradley says Team USA needs the ‘energy’ Bryson DeChambeau brings
“This is a tough thing for [Bryson], 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. He’s made every effort possible and has 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.”
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