Rose says Ryder Cup spat with DeChambeau stemmed from misunderstanding, not feud

Justin Rose says his Ryder Cup spat with Bryson DeChambeau was born of a misunderstanding and that he and Tommy Fleetwood bear no grudges against their American rivals. The clash occurred late in a tense fourball session at Bethpage Black, on the 15th green, when DeChambeau and his caddie, Greg Bodine, moved into Rose’s line as he prepared to putt. DeChambeau holed his own putt and appeared to exchange words with Rose as they walked toward the 16th tee, raising the volume on an already fiery day.

Europe later closed out the match 3-and-2, a result that came amid a backdrop of vocal abuse from the stands that tested players’ composure. The friction did not derail the European effort, with Rose and Fleetwood winning both of their fourball matches that day, but it did become the defining moment of the afternoon.

"It was a shame that the match got to that point because it was actually a really great match," Rose said after the round. "I was waiting to putt, the boys (DeChambeau and Bodine) were obviously working on their read, going through a lot of their calculations and bits and pieces. So I waited a few seconds and then I felt like they came up again and I questioned whether... I was like, 'It’s my putt, right?' or however I said it. Maybe I didn’t say it as politely as I could have said it in the moment, but by no means was there any disrespect or anything like that, but obviously it was taken the wrong way."

Rose added that the exchange was not indicative of any lasting issue with DeChambeau or fellow competitor Scottie Scheffler, whom Rose and Fleetwood faced across the morning and afternoon sessions. He said the goal in that moment was simply to control his environment during a critical moment in a big-match situation. "There was no intent behind it whatsoever, especially with Scottie. I admire him more than anybody else out on Tour—the way he goes about his business, the way he goes about his life. And obviously just huge respect all around," Rose said. "But obviously it was a big putt, big moment. I'm trying to control my environment as well in that scenario. We're all competitors, right, so I think that's all within the framework of what we've got to do out here."

Fleetwood, who paired with Rose on two wins this Ryder Cup, echoed his teammate’s stance. "It's one moment out of two days of a lot of golf and a lot of great golf. I don't think it's that big of a deal," Fleetwood said. "We move on from it and focus on the rest of the event."

DeChambeau and Scheffler did not address the incident immediately after the match, but Scheffler, who is world No. 1, gave a nod to the Europeans’ performance. "We were in a tough matchup today—those guys played great. They made a ton of putts and really tip of a cap to them. They played better than we did. Bryson did a great job battling all day," Scheffler said.

Rose, who has two wins from two partners with Fleetwood at this Ryder Cup, emphasized that the moment should not overshadow the broader context of a highly competitive event. He said he hoped the matters would be laid to rest and that the focus would return to the golf. "It should be [settled] in my opinion—there was no intent behind it whatsoever. I hope that the hatchet has been buried with DeChambeau and Scheffler," he said. "It was one moment in an epic day of golf, and I don’t want it to define what’s been an incredible competition so far."