Bryson DeChambeau wrapped up “a very emotional week” at Royal Portrush with a final-round of 64 that featured a no-bogey round including seven birdies.
Though his Open result didn’t match the flashes of brilliance he showed at Augusta or Quail Hollow earlier this season, the YouTube sensation might have been the happiest LIV golfer leaving Northern Ireland.
DeChambeau, currently sitting fifth in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, entered The Open knowing it was his last opportunity to earn qualifying points as a LIV member. A slip from the top six would force him to rely on a captain’s pick.
But it seems he has little to worry about his Bethpage Black qualification now.
In a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig, Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley confirmed that DeChambeau will be a crucial part of Team USA’s lineup for September’s battle against Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team.
“Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder Cup,” the captain shared with Sports Illustrated via text on Sunday night. “He brings so much. He brings energy, passion, but most importantly, he’s one of the best players on the planet.”
That news broke just hours after DeChambeau revealed he’d received a personal message from Bradley in the locker room, a quiet, powerful gesture that already signaled his confirmed place.
Bryson DeChambeau receives ‘personal’ locker room message from Keegan Bradley
After his bogey-free rounds, the LIV Golf pro was asked a lot of questions during the post-round press conference, including whether he had received any messages from the captain.
“I talked with him briefly, and then he put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational,” DeChambeau told reporters.
When asked to reveal the message, he denied it, stating via SI, “It’s a personal message.”
He added, “It meant a lot. This year’s no joke. We’re tired of it. We’re tired of losing.”
It wasn’t the first time Bradley reached out to DeChambeau.
Earlier this season, he hosted a team dinner in Philadelphia. DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka were the only two LIV golfers invited. Though DeChambeau couldn’t attend in person, he joined virtually and remained engaged with the leadership process.
The 31-year-old was left off the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, where Team USA fell to Europe at Marco Simone. But he competed in both 2018 (Paris) and 2021 (Whistling Straits), with the latter ending in a dominant American win.
Now, for Bethpage Black, DeChambeau is looking forward to repeating history.
“We have the most wins on tour right now as the Crushers,” he stated with confidence during the press conference on Sunday.
“It’s been so much fun playing with Paul (Casey), Anirban (Lahiri), and Charles (Howell III). The way I’ve personally led my team is I’ve let them be their individual self, their best individual self. … That’s how I learned from team golf is let the individual be the best individual they can possibly be to add to the team. That’s it. Don’t try to put someone in a bubble and say you need to do this, you need to do that.”
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