Bryson DeChambeau was involved in a heated bust-up with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood during the Ryder Cup fourballs at Bethpage Black on Saturday as tempers flared
The Ryder Cup thrives on fierce competition, national pride, and nail-biting finishes – and at Bethpage Black, that explosive combination reached a boiling point when Bryson DeChambeau got into it with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood during Saturday’s fourballs.
Team USA came into the second day staggering after Europe’s dominant opening, though DeChambeau dismissed it as mere “Luck” following Day 1. The drama then erupted on the 15th green with a rowdy New York gallery looking on.
DeChambeau and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler found themselves matched up against the seasoned pairing of Rose and Fleetwood, who were charged with maintaining Europe’s grip on the competition.
Justin Rose is 45 and back for another Ryder Cup
The battle was intensely fought, with the Europeans prevailing 3&2, but things got heated when Rose lined up his putt on the 15th while his team held a commanding three-hole lead. Rose, who had benefited from a Keegan Bradley mistake earlier, later revealed he had given the Americans time to complete their read but felt they moved back into his sight line.
“Maybe I didn’t say it as politely as I could have said it in the moment, but by no means was there any disrespect. Obviously it was taken the wrong way.”
Rose had requested that DeChambeau’s caddie, Gregory Bodine, step aside from his line of sight while studying the green. That simple request was enough to ignite a war of words.
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Following the putt, DeChambeau confronted Rose while Fleetwood exchanged words with the American star. The tension escalated when Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, intervened and appeared to lay hands on European vice-captain Francesco Molinari.
Fleetwood’s caddie, Ian Finnis, attempted to defuse the situation. He was overheard telling Bodine, “Let’s just all chill out. Let’s play. He can take as long as he wants.”
“It was a shame the match got to that point, it was a really great match,” Rose commented. “I don’t think we should dwell on that. I said to the boys if you want me to say ‘excuse me please,’ then yeah, my bad. But it was an amazing match.
“I spoke to the boys, it should be [put to bed]. There was no intent behind it whatsoever. I think especially Scottie, I admire him more than anyone else on tour the way he goes about his business, the way he goes about his life.
“Just huge respect all around from my point of view, it’s something that has been taken in a way it wasn’t intended.
“It was a big putt, a big moment, I’m trying to control my environment as well in that scenario. We’re all competitors right. I think that’s all within the framework of what we’ve got to do out here.”
Fleetwood echoed Rose’s sentiments, stating, “It’s one moment out of two days of a lot of golf and a lot of great golf. It happens, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”
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