Captain’s Nightmare? Bryson Dechambeau is perhaps the opposite

Farmingdale, NY – While the American Ryder Cup -smokie Ben Griffin practiced Chipschoten of the rough behind Bethpage Black’s 15th Green Tuesday afternoon, one came away from him. High, hot and tied to the dome of Bryson Deschambeau. The ball could have left a stamp (or worse!), But it didn’t. That’s because Griffin’s quickly thinking Caddy, Alex Ritthamel, jumped in front of the ball and hit it out like an NBA center that defended the hoop.

“You could have killed him!” A fan barked in Griffin.

Did not miss a beat, Griffin Deadpanned: “He is indestructible.”

Decchambeau, his broad shoulders, muscular frame and superhuman tee shots despite the shots, is in fact not indestructible. But his shell has been hardened over the years, the result, he will tell you, arriving at a place in his life where he feels that he can express his true self, albeit on a golf course swollen by signature-hungry fans or plays in one of his much-viewed YouTube videos. “Once I became more authentic for myself,” he said in the US Open in June, “I have the feeling that I felt more at ease.”

That does not mean that Dechambeau is not still polarized, and not only because he dumped the PGA tour for the wealth of Liv Golf in 2022. Still hanging over Depchambeau, at least in some circles, his questions about his motives, a reality of which Golffans are reminded in the run-up to these 45th Ryder Cup. The first Barb came from the European star Rory McIlroy, who in an interview with the British newspaper, The guardianWas asked to respond to the claim of Dechambeau that he intends to “tap” McIlroy at Bethpage.

McIlroy sounded undisturbed and said that the “only way” Deschambeau remains in the public interest “by mentioning other people.” McIlroy added: “To get attention he will mention me or scottie [Scheffler] Or others. “

The Tit-for-Tat continued on Monday on the Ryder Cup when Dephambeau, in response to the comments from McIlroy, told Golf Channel: “The only thing I try to do is inspire children on YouTube, and we have gathered a fairly large audience on YouTube and I have rejected a little more banned.

Those comments – we are almost ready here, promise! -In turn, caught the ear of the golf channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, who got his flame thrower and accused Dephambeau of being more interested in his YouTube channel than in the US Ryder Cup team. Chamblee added: “He is a strange duck when he tries to go up in the team, and he has so many potential bulletin-board mistakes. I think he would be a captain’s nightmare.”

Cruel! But is it true?

Every American player who was asked about the place of Dechambeau in the American team, started beating for him on Tuesday. Predictable? Maybe. You would not expect a Ryder -Cupper to take a teammate apart for three days before the games start. Yet the feedback from the American team on Deschambeau was so universally positive than you couldn’t help, but buy it.

Scottie Scheffler called DECHAMBEAU a “great competitor” and said “the people love him.” Patrick Cantlay said: “I am glad he is on our side. He is a showman outside of it. I think he will fire the crowd.” Xander Schauffele characterized Decchambeau as a ‘Gladiator golfer’ and added: “I have the feeling that Bryson could be the difference for us.”

And American Captain Keegan Bradley, whose opinion matters the most? He said that Deschambeau was “incredible in the team room” and added: “We need Bryson’s energy and he brings that every day.”

Dechambeau certainly did it on a warm and airy Tuesday in Bethpage Black, where he played a nine-hole practice round (10 to 18) with Cameron Young and two of the likely partners of Dechambeau this week, Ben Griffin and Justin Thomas. While his play partners were largely aimed at assessing goal lines and green slopes and club selections, Decchambeau also made time for the galleries. Punches of fist. High five. Arms wave up to burn the cheers. On the 13th Green, Decchambeau was greeted by a woman and two young boys were in the stands behind the Green. They held a homemade sign with the text: “Bryson, we skipped the school for you.”

From the hot receptions of the galleries on every tee box and green, you also have the feeling more than a few adults who played Hooky for a glimpse of Dephambeau. No matter how you think about the man, he is unmistakably the most popular player in the American team. For every call from “Justin!” Or “Cam!”, There were two dozen Clamors for Bryson.

It would be foolish to try to read too much in a practice round of nine holes, but the vibes between Dephambeau and his teammates also seemed healthy. After Thomas had taken a ball from the back of the 12th Green within five or six feet from the hole, Griffin Thomas assured that the chip was “good enough”, because Dephambeau would certainly clean it up. At 18, Thomas and Dephambeau worked together on a lecture, and while things were descending, DeChambeau de Groene, shaking with the shoulder of each of his play partners, ran.

But the practice session of Dechbeau was not over yet.

With players, coaches and other hangers who still mill around the 18th green, he marched to the adjacent 1st tee. There has been speculation about whether Decchambeau de Green will ride the opener, a 430-Yard Par-4 that plays considerably shorter for players who can muscles their tee-shots over the corner of the right-wing dogleg. Deschambeau, the tee for itself, put a pen in the ground and shot a tee shot on the hero line. Then another. And another one. And another one. The crowd in the towering grandstand that looms up over the 18th Green and 1st T -shirt – and assuming him, with cries of “You have this, Bryson!” And songs of “US!”

His sixth explosion seemed to be his last, but then Dephambeau looked up to the stands – and with showman cap square – in the mouth, “another one?”

Hell, yes, another one!

Decchambeau Teed up another, took two wadling and loaded. As he followed, he and his driver growled back. Who knows where the ball went and who gave it?

Friday cannot come here quickly enough.

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