DeChambeau says missing 2023 Ryder Cup fueled return to Team USA

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Bryson DeChambeau said missing the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome put a fire in his stomach as he prepared for a return to Team USA at Bethpage Black. The LIV Golf player is now on the U.S. squad, with automatic qualifying determined by FedEx Cup points earned in golf's majors and PGA Tour events. Because LIV Golf did not compete in the full PGA Tour schedule, DeChambeau was ineligible for the 2023 team and was not selected as a captain's pick.

"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." DeChambeau noted that his stint with LIV complicated Ryder Cup eligibility, but he focused on earning his way back onto the roster through the next two years of majors and major-caliber events. With Bethpage circled on his calendar since Rome, he pursued eight chances to qualify at the four majors in 2024 and 2025.

That pursuit paid off when DeChambeau captured the 2024 U.S. Open and logged two runner-up finishes in major championships, along with three other top-10 results. Those results not only solidified his place on the team but also ensured he would be automatically qualified for this year’s competition.

"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," he said. "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. 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, 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."

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. DeChambeau has long cherished team events—from Walker Cup to World Amateur—expressing that representing his country has always been a priority.

"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."

As the United States looks to defend Ryder Cup glory at Bethpage Black, DeChambeau’s path from controversy to contention underscores the evolving landscape of team golf and the ongoing debate over what it means to wear the U.S. colors. His narrative—from missing in Rome to reasserting himself as a top U.S. contributor—adds a human angle to a competition that blends high-stakes golf with national pride. With the 2025 event ahead, the mood around Team USA is one of confidence tempered by the history of past battles, and DeChambeau’s return is being framed as a potential rallying point for a roster aiming to recapture dominance on home soil.