Ryder Cup star accused of being 'captain's nightmare' after Rory McIlroy comments

Bryson DeChambeau has been branded "a captain's nightmare" ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup. The powerhouse American is set to make his third appearance in the prestigious tournament and is tipped to play a pivotal role in Keegan Bradley's formidable US squad, which also features world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa.

However, not everyone is convinced DeChambeau will prove to be a valuable asset. Golf pundit Brandel Chamblee recently launched a scathing attack on the LIV Golf star, claiming he is more interested in fuelling his feud with Rory McIlroy than concentrating on the team's mission to retain the trophy. Back in July, DeChambeau vowed to be "chirping in McIlroy's ear" throughout the competition, and subsequently taunted Team Europe by declaring: "Whatever expectations they should have [about the fans at Bethpage Black], they should double it. I don't think they're ready for it."

Discussing DeChambeau's remarks, Chamblee said on Golf Channel: "I thought it was pretty poignant there when he asked about the retort of Rory that he didn't mention the goal this week of a Ryder Cup. Nope. He didn't do that. He didn't talk about playing on a team and how much that meant. Nope. He didn't do that."

The pundit also slammed the 32-year-old for plugging his and even suggested he was using "bots" to inflate viewing numbers. "What he did do was talk about his YouTube channel, which, you know, if we want to talk about the numbers that are generated from that it's pretty dubious," Chamblee continued.

"I have no doubt that bots are generating a lot of those those views, there may be some interest as well. But that's what he wants to talk about not the team not the Ryder Cup."

Whilst accepting that DeChambeau can prove disruptive to rivals, Chamblee cautioned that his self-centred mindset could eventually damage Team USA's prospects. "This is one of the reasons why I think he's gonna be such a difficult person to get paired with. No doubt he's one hell of a golfer. No doubt," Chamblee added.

"He has his moments of generosity with fans I've heard about. But he's an odd duck when he's trying to blend in with the team and he has so many potential bulletin board mistakes. And I think he would be a captain's nightmare."

The bitter feud between McIlroy and DeChambeau has been brewing for years, stemming from the controversial split between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. McIlroy, a fierce advocate of the PGA Tour, emerged as one of the harshest critics when DeChambeau switched allegiance to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit in 2022.

Bad blood between the duo has intensified during their encounters at major tournaments, with the 2024 US Open proving particularly explosive. DeChambeau secured his second major championship in thrilling fashion, seizing upon McIlroy's devastating late meltdown to prolong the Northern Irishman's agonising wait for a fifth major crown.

The dynamics shifted at the 2025 Masters, where McIlroy claimed victory whilst paired with DeChambeau during the final round. DeChambeau subsequently moaned that McIlroy "didn't talk to me once all day," which sparked a cutting response from Rory: "We're trying to win the Masters. I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there."

As the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black drew near, the war of words escalated further. During the Happy Gilmore 2 premiere in New York in July, DeChambeau declared: "I'll be chirping in [McIlroy's] ear this time. Now, if we go up against each other, I mean, you can be sure of it."

McIlroy hit back in August at the Tour Championship, rubbishing DeChambeau's strategy: "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."

With mere days remaining before the Ryder Cup began, DeChambeau tried to play down the rivalry during a Monday press session at Bethpage, stressing his commitment to promoting the sport through YouTube: "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," he continued, "and if not, if he wants to do what he's doing, great, no problem. Crowd is going to be on our side."