Ryder Cup notebook: Bryson DeChambeau says long drive competition prep won’t affect play in Wisconsin

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Bryson DeChambeau isn’t concerned about his “wrecked hands” ahead of this week’s Ryder Cup showdown at Whistling Straits.

DeChambeau moved to alleviate fears about his physical condition for the battle with Europe that arose after a story was published last week. Talking about his preparation for the Professional Long Drivers Association World Championship that is slated for next week in Nevada, DeChambeau talked about training twice a day and putting great strain on his hands.

“My hands are wrecked from it,” DeChambeau told Golf.com at the time. “People don't realize how difficult long drive really is.”

But the eight-time PGA TOUR winner fronted the media at Whistling Straits on Tuesday morning saying the concern suggesting he wasn’t focused on the Ryder Cup were off the mark.

“When I had some blisters on my hands and wrecked my hands, that was before the FedExCup Playoffs. That was that Friday before is when it happened. The story came out later,” DeChambeau explained. “I was talking about it and how badly my hands hurt after that because of how much effort I was putting into it.”

DeChambeau said that while he was continuing to work on his swing speeds and distance, he also had put focus on the rest of his game since finishing seventh in the FedExCup finale at East Lake.

“Leading up into this event, I've put full force focus into this event, and I think part of hitting it far is some of why I am so successful and how I could utilize my length on this golf course to potential advantage,” DeChambeau said.

“I've been working on my wedging and putting nonstop, as well. Thinking about how to roll it better, thinking about how to control my distances better with this new speed. It's definitely a delicate balance, but one that I am strictly advised pretty well on to do my absolute best in the Ryder Cup.”

The uniqueness of match play lends itself to DeChambeau continuing his aggressive style off the tee. DeChambeau led the PGA TOUR in driving distance (323.7 yards) and Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (+1.162) last season – both marks improvements over his TOUR leading efforts in the season prior.

In match play any potential mistake carries only the risk of a lost hole, not a lost tournament via a large score. DeChambeau will also have the benefit of a partner in the Four-ball format who theoretically can put the ball safely in play first allowing DeChambeau to be unleashed. If Tuesday practice is anything to go by, that partner could be rookie Scottie Scheffler.

In his Ryder Cup debut in 2018, DeChambeau went 0-3-0 losing twice in Foursomes. At the 2019 Presidents Cup his record was 0-1-1 having been used in just one Four-ball match. But they came prior to his full maturation as a long ball master. Speculation is he won’t factor in the alternate shot format this week.

“Hopefully I can get out on the golf course 200 miles an hour ball speed with a 45-inch driver. That would be really nice. There's a whole list of holes where it's going to be a huge advantage I hope if I'm hitting it in the fairway,” DeChambeau forecast.

“I think five (571-yard par 5) is a great example if it's the right wind. I could pretty much go right at the flag (over a lake), which is cool. It was here in the practice session and I had like 120 yards in to that green. Guys are going to be hitting it over the left and having a 3-wood or hybrid in.”

Practice brings pairings hints

Tuesday’s practice rounds produced the first hints as to how both teams may suit up when play begins on Friday at Whistling Straits.

It is no secret the U.S. Team will utilize the pod system where players are assigned a pod of four and their prospective partners will come from that group.

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas appear set to reunite after going 3-1-0 as a duo in 2018 at the last Ryder Cup while Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler joined the same pod. Scheffler is close friends with Spieth also giving a viable plan B.

FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay found himself out with gold medalist Xander Schauffele which might foreshadow another duo. They were also joined by Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa. Whichever way you slice those four could prove tasty.

That left Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Harris English and Daniel Berger in the final foursome.

For Europe Rory McIlroy was out with rookie Viktor Hovland and veteran duo Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. Might we see the two most experienced Europeans playing together?

World No.1 Jon Rahm went out with Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry while Ian Poulter played with Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick and rookie Bernd Wiesberger.

Harrington institutes European playing numbers

European Captain Padraig Harrington has added some prestige to the history of the Ryder Cup by instituting a player numbering system for all those who have represented his side in the past, present and future.

All players have been given a number in order of their appearance since the foundation of the Ryder Cup in 1927. With just 164 players now on this select list, Harrington prepared a video montage showcasing that over 500 people have been in space and over 5000 have climbed Mount Everest.

“That's a pretty small group of players. I'm No. 144; I think Lee (Westwood) is No. 118. But then you just look at all the players before you, and you look at Bernd Wiesberger who's making his debut this year who's No. 164… It's a small collection of people that have played for Europe in the Ryder Cup,” Rory McIlroy said.

“I think that's what brings us very close together, and that's been one of our big focus points this week is just being here is very special and being part of a European team. Very few people can call themselves a European Ryder Cup player.”

True rookie Scheffler is ready to rumble

Half of the U.S. Team at the Ryder Cup are rookies in the competition but of those Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger and Xander Schauffele have played in the Presidents Cup and Collin Morikawa is a two-time major winner.

Scottie Scheffler and Harris English have yet to play for the U.S. in either team competition but English is a four-time PGA TOUR winner who won twice on the recently completed 2020-21 season.

That leaves Scheffler – who is yet to claim a first TOUR win – feeling like the true rookie of the team. But he says he’s been made to feel right at home.

“The vice captains and Steve (Stricker) have been really helpful, as well as just the guys on the team. I would say I am the only true rookie. I've not played a Presidents Cup before, but I don't feel like that. I feel like I belong on this team. The guys have done a really great job of making me feel like I belong,” Scheffler stressed.

“I feel like if I showed up on this team and either didn't have friends or the guys weren't being nice to me it would feel a lot different, but I feel like it's been a seamless transition for me. Just having their kind of vote of confidence for me is fantastic.”

Scheffler said he’d sought out a little advice on how the first tee might feel when he gets his chance to suit up.

“It's going to be loud. And then the one thing I've heard was it's weird how loud it gets to how quiet it gets when you're about to hit the shot just because it's going to go back to a regular golf tournament when you're over the ball,” he adds.

“That's going to be kind of a weird adjustment. I think it was Zach Johnson who told me that. Zach is like, It's just really weird how quiet it gets, because it's so loud and then all of a sudden it's dead silent.”

Thomas takes Tiger advice

Justin Thomas revealed he spent time with Tiger Woods in Florida last week ahead of the Ryder Cup as the 82-time PGA TOUR winner continues to recover from injuries suffered in a car accident in February.

Thomas dropped in on his 2019 Presidents Cup captain, and playing partner from Melbourne, who is extremely invested in the U.S. Teams preparations despite not being able to take up a position as Vice Captain this time around.

“I got together with him a couple times last week. More so just going over to see how he's doing as a friend, more than as a vice captain or if he's even still considered that,” Thomas said.

“He's so into it. He obviously wants the best for our team. He wants the best for all of us. It means a lot to him. I think people would be surprised -- obviously you all saw in Australia how much it meant to him, but just the amount of work and the amount of hours he's willing to spend to make sure that he feels like the team is prepared and as ready to go as possible is pretty cool.

“At the end of the day he also understands that we're 12 of the best players in the world, and we know how to play golf. Sometimes less is more, so I think he's great at balancing that out.

It was more, I'm here if you need me kind of thing.”

Garcia recounts teenage birth of Ryder Cup love came with Seve

European veteran Sergio Garcia recalled a moment from his teenage years that set in stone his passion for the Ryder Cup. Garcia is set to play his 10th Cup at Whistling Straits and has the chance to add to his record 25.5 points won – the most for any European player in Cup history.

“In '95. I remember I was at the Junior Ryder Cup and we went to watch the practice round at Oak Hill in Rochester, and I remember Seve grabbed me under the ropes, and I think I walked a little bit of the 12th hole, and we were talking a little bit and he was explaining things to me. So that was obviously amazing. Took a picture and stuff.

“Then I remember walking to the international pavilion and saw some of the European crowds just singing, and the energy that I felt, I remember as a 15-year-old I was there and I was like, I have to be a part of this at some point in my life.”

Garcia brings a wealth of experience to his team with a 22-12-7 record over 41 matches. It began in 1999 where he went 3-1-1 as a rookie and continued in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Garcia has won six of the nine Ryder Cups he’s played.

“Obviously it came a lot earlier than I thought in '99, but from that moment on I loved it. And then obviously 1999 was amazing with Jesper, and even though we lost it, the way the whole week went, it just felt unbelievable.”