It’s not every day that a LIV golfer gets pitted against a PGA Tour golfer in front of thousands of roaring fans, with Ryder Cup pride, and egos on the line. But that’s exactly what unfolded when Bryson DeChambeau faced off against Matt Fitzpatrick in a singles clash on Sunday. And now, Fitzpatrick has broken his silence on what it was really like to go toe-to-toe with one of golf’s most polarizing figures.

Speaking at a press conference at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Wednesday, the Englishman peeled back the curtain on his showdown with the LIV Golf powerhouse. “He was fine. Bryson’s character, he’s got a lot of energy,” Fitzpatrick began. “You get in that environment with the home crowd — I think it was very helpful to get off to a great start. To be up so early was helpful at that point just to keep the crowd not really on his side as such. It was kind of much more tame. But no issues with Bryson. I knew what he was about, and that’s what excites the fans over there, and that’s great,” he continued.

For all the talk of DeChambeau’s on-course antics, Fitzpatrick wasn’t rattled. “There were no issues. It was obviously a good match. I wish it ended a little bit differently, but in the end, it was a half-point,” Fitzpatrick confessed. And it really could’ve been so much more. Fitzpatrick came flying out of the gates, going 5 up through the first 7 holes, but DeChambeau flipped the script.

He won the 8th and 9th holes and then mounted a gritty late charge—taking three of the next four from the 14th to the 17th—to shockingly level with Fitzpatrick heading up the 18th. A nervous final hole saw both players miss their chance to clinch it, with the match ending in a tie. It wasn’t the result Fitzpatrick had hoped for, but it was undeniably a tough fight, and, in the end, a vital one.

Coming into the week, the Englishman carried a 1-7-0 Ryder Cup record and had never won a singles match. Meanwhile, for the Americans, DeChambeau had to deliver a full point if Keegan Bradley’s side were to pull off what would’ve been one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time. With others in the European team already defeated, and Rory McIlroy clinging on against Scottie Scheffler, Europe’s Sunday momentum was slipping fast. They needed someone to hold the line.

And for a while, Fitzpatrick looked like he would be the guy. After going 5 up through seven holes, he looked in complete control, piling the pressure on DeChambeau early in the third match of the day. But by the time they reached the 18th hole, the match was tied, and Fitzpatrick’s hopes of winning his first singles match were shattered. But he still managed to grab half a point for his team, leading to Europe’s 15-13 win over the Americans. He may not have won the match, but he stopped Bryson DeChambeau. And that might’ve made all the difference.

Bryson DeChambeau’s Comeback Highlights Team USA’s Fighting Spirit

While Europe ultimately clinched the 45th Ryder Cup with a 15–13 victory, the final-day drama at Bethpage Black was anything but routine. The Americans, down 11.5–4.5 heading into Sunday, rallied with 8.5 points in singles—tying the all-time record for most points earned in the singles format. It was a comeback for the ages that fell just short, but one that gave Europe a serious scare and reminded everyone why this event is unmatched in emotion and unpredictability.

Bryson DeChambeau, who hadn’t won a match all weekend, nearly became an unlikely hero. His comeback against Fitzpatrick didn’t deliver the full point Team USA desperately needed, but it was symbolic of the fight that pulsed through the American locker room. “Just keep moving and keep fighting back,” DeChambeau said. “I fought my (expletive) off today for this team, for this country, and we all fought hard today. You can see, it reflects in the leaderboard and what we did today. We’re not quitters..” he told Golfweek.

Even captain Keegan Bradley acknowledged the near-miracle his team pulled off — “It just shows you how proud these guys are and how much this means to them.” Though they came up short, the American team turned what looked like a sure blowout into a Ryder Cup finale worth remembering and proved to the critics who constantly criticized the team chemistry and culture.