With Keegan Bradley unveiling his six captain’s picks: Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, and Cameron Young join a roster already headlined by automatic qualifiers such as Bryson DeChambeau. There is optimism surrounding one of the strongest American lineups in recent memory, but one question casts a shadow: how does Bradley solve the DeChambeau puzzle?

That, at least, was Brandel Chamblee’s dire warning. On Golf Channel, the analyst reiterated a haunting pattern: “If you go back to 1979 when it became continental Europe vs the United States, when you look at the first session and the very first match of that session, the winner of the first match of the first session has predicted the winner of the Ryder Cup 68 percent of the time.“ It underscored the pressure on Bradley to not only set the right tone but also to decide which pairings can handle that pivotal stage. Chamblee’s verdict? Bradley faces a real problem: “To me it’s how do you pair Bryson DeChambeau? He is an unbelievable golfer but he has been notoriously difficult to pair with.”

And Chamblee isn’t pulling that concern out of thin air. There’s a track record that justifies it. Back in Paris in 2018, DeChambeau was partnered with Phil Mickelson in one match and Tiger Woods in another, and both times the Americans were routed by a 5&4 margin. The optics of those losses only deepened the idea that Bryson’s game doesn’t mesh easily in foursomes. Things did improve at Whistling Straits in 2021, when he teamed up with Scottie Scheffler in fourball play. That pairing showed promise, earning 1.5 points from two matches, but even then, it wasn’t the kind of dominant return that erases the question marks.

Whistling Straits in 2021 felt like a turning point for DeChambeau. Up to that moment, he had been one of the more divisive characters on the PGA Tour; admired for his power but scrutinized for his personality. His play in Wisconsin softened some of that image, showing he could thrive in a team environment and feed off the atmosphere. It didn’t transform him overnight into a crowd favorite, but the tide was slowly turning. By the time he lifted the U.S. Open trophy at Pinehurst in 2024, the reception told the story: fans cheered him as though he was one of their own. Fast forward to Bethpage, and it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine DeChambeau emerging as the loudest crowd-puller on either side of the tee.

But while Chamblee painted the challenge as a looming headache, others in the golf world took a lighter, more imaginative approach to the Bryson question.

Will the Ryder Cup be a Bryson DeChambeau show?

Not everyone views DeChambeau as a problem. Some see him as a trump card. On the podcast, The Smiley Show, host Smylie Kaufman, a former PGA Tour winner himself, joked that the Americans should lean into Bryson’s spectacle right from the start: “Bryson has to tee off first for the Americans. He has to send the first tee shot at the green. Doesn’t matter if he gets there or not. That ball needs to be at the flagstick. And I need the caddy to be on the tee and giving him a number. Hey, it’s 370 front. And it’s actually 385 carry over that bunker. Okay, got it.” To which co-host Charlie Hulme said, “I need the caddy to be on the green, tending the flagstick as it goes in.” 

And Kaufman added a hilarious take, “And then can you fire a red smoke if it hits the green? You fire a white smoke if it’s in the bunker and a blue smoke just because.” Hulme then piled on: “Just fire them all at the same time. Like those popsicles you have on the 4th of July.” It was comedy, yes, but it captured something more: Bryson is not just a golfer. He is a spectacle. For every analyst worrying about pairings, there are just as many fans, broadcasters, and even fellow players who see him as a weapon that can ignite an atmosphere. He drives par-fours in ways no one else dares. He dares lines over bunkers and hazards that others won’t touch. In match play, where moments matter as much as momentum, that theater can be the difference.

By building a roster rich in complementary talents and stepping into full-time leadership, Keegan Bradley has sidestepped the ‘Bryson problem.’ Pairing may still be tricky, but the options are more extensive, and the roster is more adaptable. If anything, the Smylie-Charlie duo reminds us that golf, and particularly team events, are never merely about the numbers. Whether it’s smoke signals or strategic chemistry, the Ryder Cup demands story as much as skill. Bradley’s challenge isn’t a problem; it’s an invitation to craft one of those stories.