Bryson DeChambeau left ‘disappointed’ after dropping opening Ryder Cup matches

Bryson DeChambeau’s return to the Ryder Cup started with a statement, but it ended with an 0-2 record and with DeChambeau being the only golfer to take an evening trip to the driving range. 

As an emotional player who constantly feeds off the energy of fans, DeChambeau delivered one of the moments of the morning when he turned the first Team USA shot into an aggressive drive 344 yards over the trees — sending the crowd into a frenzy.

But DeChambeau struggled to translate those jolts into match victories, contributing to the 5 ½-2 ½ deficit the Americans will take into Saturday. 

“I played good golf, just not good enough,” DeChambeau said following the afternoon session, “and they made everything. Luck is on their side right now.” 

The losses marked the first two of DeChambeau’s career during home Ryder Cups after not dropping a match at Whistling Straits in 2021.

But after that tournament, a decision to bolt to LIV Golf complicated his path to making the roster for Rome.

Seeing Team USA lose that year “really put a fire in my stomach,” he said earlier this week. DeChambeau made it his mission to get back. 

But his first day left him “pretty disappointed,” he said.

DeChambeau and foursomes partner Justin Thomas couldn’t extend their lead beyond 1-up, and after allowing Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to tie it at the seventh, they crumbled across the final eight holes.

He sent his tee shot on the 15th hole into the area around the grandstands — not even close to the fairway shot needed to help keep the match going. 

In the afternoon, DeChambeau again generated buzz at the first tee when he shook President Donald Trump’s hand before his first shot.

He again contributed to the environment when he sank a 6-foot birdie putt — capped with a fist pump, a roar, everything — to keep the match with Ben Griffin against Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose alive for the 18th hole.

He was “clutch when I needed to be,” DeChambeau said. 

He missed a birdie putt on the 13th hole of four-ball with the match tied, though.

Other misplayed shots across both sessions mixed in.

And two years after DeChambeau was left watching from afar and wishing for another chance to represent Team USA, most of the hype was quickly extinguished. 

“He hit a lot of incredible shots,” captain Keegan Bradley said. “… But ultimately we needed to make more putts. I think everyone on our team would say that. I think that they would say that we’ve got to go out tomorrow and roll those putts in, and we didn’t do that [Friday].”