The anticipation for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black has built over the last 23 months, and the temperature around the biennial showdown has been ratcheted up as two of the marquee names trade jabs ahead of the first tee shots Friday.
Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau’s rivalry has grown over the past few years. The two stars are on opposite sides of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf feud and have had two memorable major championship battles, with DeChambeau stealing the 2024 U.S. Open from McIlroy and the Northern Irishman returning the favor by giving DeChambeau the silent treatment en route to a win at the Masters this April.
This summer, the two have continued to exchange barbs.
“I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people. That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others,” McIlroy told the Guardian.
With both teams descending on Long Island this week, DeChambeau responded to McIlroy’s jab about his quest for attention.
Bryson responds to Rory’s dig
DeChambeau will be one of the biggest storylines this week at Bethpage Black. The Crushers GC frontman qualified for Team USA off the back of eight major championship starts and has drawn rave reviews from captain Keegan Bradley and his teammates.
The two-time U.S. Open champion caught up with Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis on Monday and responded to McIlroy’s jab and their growing rivalry by focusing on his YouTube channel.
“All I’m trying to do is inspire kids on YouTube, and we’ve amassed quite a big audience on YouTube,” DeChambeau said. “I’m continuing to focus on that train of thought. Whatever Rory says and whatnot — granted, I didn’t mean anything by it other than I’m excited. I hope we can have some good banter back and forth, and if not, if he wants to do what he’s doing, great, no problem. Crowd is going to be on our side. We’re going to have a fun time. But ultimately, my job is to get a kid out there who is looking at me hitting a golf ball smiling.
“There’s a rivalry between every one of us golfers. Is it heightened with Rory? Sure. You can make it that way. But look, anytime we go out in the arena, we’re trying to be the best we can possibly be, and if it helps the game of golf out to then great, so be it.”
After Europe’s romp in Rome in 2023, McIlroy promised that the Europeans would win at Bethpage Black. That’s a clip that Bradley has played for his team on numerous occasions. DeChambeau wasn’t part of the 2023 team but will be a critical part of Team USA’s goal to take back the trophy and stop McIlroy’s pledge from coming true, especially given how he feeds off the home crowd and vice versa.
“I was telling Keegan, I feel like Bryson could be like the difference for us in a strange way from the standpoint of feeding into these fans, the style of golf he plays,” Xander Schauffele said Tuesday. “And also how — like you’ll get me, 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 is like, 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 sort of see what he can do, and hopefully get a lot of points up on the board because his points might hit harder than maybe my points, for example, just because of how he might celebrate and get these fans into this tournament quickly.”
The Ryder Cup begins at 7:10 a.m. ET on Friday with four foursomes matches.
