‘Did Brandel Say Something Yesterday?’ - DeChambeau Responds To Chamblee Criticism

Bryson DeChambeau is predictably making headlines as a star of the US Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black.

It was always inevitable that the fan favorite would have plenty of interest in the build-up to the biennial match. After all, this is his first Ryder Cup outing since 2021, having been overlooked by Zach Johnson for a wildcard two years ago.

There’s more to it than that, though. In recent years, DeChambeau has reinvented himself as one of the most engaging characters in the game.

At seemingly every tournament he plays, he can be found interacting with fans, even in the maelstrom of a Major.

For example, there was the 2024 PGA Championship, where he intervened to ensure the intended recipient of one of his balls, a child, found its new owner after it was intercepted by an adult.

Then there was the moment the following month at the US Open, when the big hitter joked with fans that he was "sorry" for not using his driver.

It’s not just DeChambeau’s on-course fan engagement that has the public eating out of his hand. He also has a popular YouTube channel, where he takes on numerous challenges, such as trying to break 50 with Donald Trump, or attempting to hit a hole-in-one over his house.

While his popularity has skyrocketed, one man who is unmoved by DeChambeau is Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, who, earlier in the week, questioned his priorities – as well as his YouTube numbers.

In response to a Golf Channel report documenting a recent back-and-forth between DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, Chamblee said in the studio: “When he does come out, there’s a bit of the circus barker element to it. He’s trying to drum up some interest for himself.

“I thought it was pretty poignant there when he asked about the retort of Rory, he didn’t mention the goal this week of a Ryder Cup. No, he didn’t do that. He didn’t talk about playing on a team and how much that meant. No, he didn’t do that.”

“What he did do was talk about his YouTube channel, which, you know, if we want to talk about the numbers that are generated from that, it’s pretty dubious. I’ve no doubt that bots are generating a lot of those views. There may be some interest as well, but that’s what he wants to talk about, not the team, not the Ryder Cup.”

So, how would DeChambeau react? Would he be hurt? Angry? The answer appears to be neither.

Instead, during a practice round on Wednesday, he briefly paused signing autographs for a throng of fans to turn to the camera and say: “Did Brandel say something yesterday? I don’t know what it was.”

While that retort is only likely to endear him to his fans even more, he also seems to have the backing of his teammates.

Chamblee also described DeChambeau as a “captain’s nightmare,” but during a press conference on Tuesday, teammate Scottie Scheffler only had words of praise for the LIV Golfer.

He said: “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. 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 US 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."

If DeChambeau follows up his response to Chamblee with a performance that helps his team win the Ryder Cup, his popularity will surely soar to levels even he has yet to experience.