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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Bryson DeChambeau is at Bethpage Black with a vengeance.
When DeChambeau made the controversial move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, he knew what he signed up for, understanding it would be much more difficult to play in the Ryder Cup.
Team USA’s automatic qualifiers make the team through FedEx Cup points, which are attained in golf’s four majors and other PGA Tour events.
But with LIV Golf only able to compete in the majors, DeChambeau missed out on qualifying for the 2023 team and was not selected as a captain’s pick.
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“Yeah, it sucked. I wanted to be there. Didn’t play well enough in the majors,” DeChambeau told reporters Thursday. “Knew what I was up against when I went to LIV. That’s a whole other conversation. But still wanted to make the team and wasn’t able to.”
After a crushing loss without him in Rome two years ago, DeChambeau had eight chances for Bethpage (four majors in 2024 and 2025) to make this year’s team. In those tournaments, he won the 2024 U.S. Open, finished second in both PGA Championships and had three other top 10 finishes.
That was enough to not only get him on the team but to automatically qualify.
“Seeing the guys lose really put a fire in my stomach and wanted to make the team this time around. Now we’re here, and we’re a day away from starting probably, if not the most exciting golf event in golf,” DeChambeau said.
It’s a relief for DeChambeau, who was ineligible for last year’s Olympics and could not compete in 2021 after getting COVID.
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“That was a pretty big shot to the heart. Playing in team events my whole entire life, playing in the Walker Cup, World Amateur, numerous other team events, that’s all I wanted to do growing up,” he said.
But ever since missing out on Rome, he has had Bethpage circled on his calendar.
“Being on the Ryder Cup for a winning team and a losing team, experiencing both the highs and the lows and missing in Rome, this has put something in my stomach that’s kind of made it a mission project for me,” a stoic DeChambeau said. “I want to be a part of this team and be the most helpful person I can for this team in whatever way possible that is.
“The words really aren’t there right now to explain how passionate I am about this USA team and how good I think we are and how positive we are and how encouraging we are, inspiring we are and what this captain has done to bring us together, to band us together like other like possibly no other captains have done in the history.
“Making this team was a passion project of mine. It was A1,” he added. “It was the thing I wanted to do most, represent my country.”
DeChambeau is 2-3-1 in his Ryder Cup career, making his first team in 2018. He played alongside Tiger Woods, and the 2018 Ryder Cup remains the last time Woods competed in the event.
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