The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black is underway, with Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas representing Team USA in the first match. DeChambeau hit the opening tee shot for the Americans, taking an aggressive line off the first tee. Then, when he got up to the green, he drilled the birdie putt to take the first hole. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley praised DeChambeau as he was walking off the first tee to NBC Sports' Damon Hack.

“Did you see what he just did? That's why we have him here,” Bradley said, speaking of DeChambeau's perfect drive to the front of the green on the first hole. Thomas hit the wedge shot, and his partner followed up with the birdie putt to win the hole.

Article Continues Below

There was a lot made about DeChambeau's inclusion on the American team in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup. Bradley did not have a choice, as he qualified on points, but many were barish on his ability to play with a team. Most notably, Golf Channel pundit Brandel Chamblee led that charge, claiming that DeChambeau's YouTube views were inflated by bots and that he was a captain's nightmare.

DeChambeau did not make the 2023 Ryder Cup team, staying home after a difficult major championship season. But he responded with a US Open win in 2024 and a close call at the Masters in April. That earned him a spot on the Ryder Cup team, where his showman tendencies captivate the entire crowd.

The Ryder Cup features four foursome matches on Friday morning and four fourball matches in the afternoon. The same format follows on Saturday, and the event concludes on Sunday with 12 singles matches. With Bradley's vote of confidence and his electric start, DeChambeau could go out in all five sessions for Team USA. Will that lead to an American win?