The World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, will be the obvious choice for the team pairing, considering his exceptional form. But apart from his stance, he has made his feelings clear for his 2021 Ryder Cup partner, with whom he recorded the best stats. His partner, Bryson DeChambeau, has been under constant scrutiny since the team selection due to his explosive playing style. Notably, the golf commentator even pointed out that he was a “Captain’s nightmare.” But the 2024 PGA Tour Player of the Year backs him.

When asked about his fellow golfer DeChambeau, Scheffler cleared the air and praised him.

“Yeah, I mean, I think Bryson is a tremendous competitor. He’s a great partner as well. I partnered with him in 2021 at Whistling Straits and he was a tremendous guy to be out to be golf course with. He’s a great guy and a good friend, and he’s been great in our team room.”

In 2021, Scheffler, in his debut Ryder Cup, was paired with DeChambeau, and the duo achieved significant results together. Out of the two four-balls matches, the duo won against Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland. Their match against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton was halved. The pair has the best record compared with their previous Ryder Cup participation. In fact, with the past partnership and great camaraderie, Scheffler continued to add more in favor of DeChambeau.

Further, he added, “Like I said, he brings a lot of energy, the people love him, and I think he loves the opportunity to be able to represent his country. He’s a multiple-time U.S. Open winner, and that means a lot to him. Being an American, I think, means a lot to him as well. I’m excited to kind of unleash him this week.” Scheffler admires the great energy, competitiveness, and DeChambeau’s quality to uplift the environment. While DeChambeau, too, has the same respect.

In the past, the LIV golfer praised Scheffler, saying, “He’s got the best spin and distance control I’ve ever seen. He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else… His distance control is the best since Tiger Woods,” The compliment on game as well as the balance as a family man is what left DeChambeau praising Scheffler about. Well, the two share a great relationship, and this time too, Scheffler has taken his fellow teammates’ side.

Bryson DeChambeau has been vocal about his opportunity to represent the country, despite being part of LIV Golf.

He has earlier said, “We’re playing for our country, not playing for a Tour.”

Additionally, with two US Open victories and notable performances at the majors, he is a great competitor who could lead the team to win.

In fact, he has shared his intent to change the record. Earlier, for the Ryder Cup edition, he said, “This year’s no joke. We’re tired of it. We’re tired of losing.”

Out of the past seven editions, Team America has won only twice. The dominance of the European side is clear, but DeChambeau aims to end it. However, despite his patriotism and outstanding performance, he was under the radar of Brandel Chamblee, being the odd one out of the team.

Chamblee said, “He’s an odd duck when he’s trying to fit in with a team, and he has so many bulletin board mistakes. I think he would be a captain’s nightmare.”

Being an aggressive player who uses a unique ball will be challenging to pair with. However, Johnson Wagner has pointed out the merits that would make it easier to pair DeChambeau with a debutant.

Alternative pairing for DeChambeau

After Chamblee pointed out the struggle of pairing DeChambeau, Wagner also quoted the same obstacle. However, he also discovered a great pair for the LIV golfer with a similar style. Talking about that during the 5 Clubs podcast, he said, “I think there’s only one option, and especially if it’s alternate shot.” Further, he added, “It’s Cameron Young.” Both golfers have an aggressive game style. Not just that, but it carries the same type of equipment.

DeChambeau uses a specific Prototype Titleist golf ball, which suits his spin rate and preference for hard hitting. But similar to him, Young won his first PGA Tour title using the same ball. “Guess who won their first event, their first week playing that ball? It was Cameron Young,” Wagner remarked. With that similarity, it is going to be easier for the captain to pair him with the debutant after his win at the Wyndham Championship.

Even with the World No. 1 in support of Bryson, the worry might get soothed out for him. But can he really prove the way he is praised? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.