Bryson, Brooks, and Beers - The US Ryder Cup Verdict

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 26 September 2021

Brooks, Bryson and Beers. Those are the three of the hot topics that came out of Day 2 here at Whistling Straits.

Bryson, Brooks, and Beers - The US Ryder Cup Verdict

On the first topic, Bryson took a chance at looking really silly by laying his putter down to show if his par putt on the first hole was inside the leather. Once evidently it was, the European's quickly looked like the silly ones there for making him putt it.

Bryson, Brooks and Beers US Verdict — DeChambeau lays his putter on the ground. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Would you ask your buddies at your home club to putt out from inside the leather? The jokes on Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood on this one.

DeChambeau not only made the putt but glared back at Fleetwood and Hovland once he did, then walked off the green and got daps from a giggling Scottie Scheffler and his caddie Scott Maginnes.

Brooks Koepka’s cursing at the PGA rules officials when they told him he wouldn’t get relief from a lie in the thick rough near a sprinkler on 15 was a very bad look.

Should Koepka Be Banned? — Koepka on the 15th yesterday. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

On the one hand he had just come off a major wrist injury from hitting a tree root at the Tour Championship a couple weeks ago, so he was understandably reticent. However, using a curse word at someone who presides over the rules at your event is a joke. Brooks has to be better than that.

I didn’t see Justin Thomas chug that first tee beer until Saturday evening, but when you think about the situation it makes perfect sense. It was the crowd who threw it to him and Daniel Berger essentially saying ‘can you have fun with us too?’

And at that point, as the beers rolled out from the grandstands near the teebox on 1 both JT and Berger felt they had to give the crowd what they wanted. Isn’t the Ryder Cup that one event that’s miles different than the rest? Well, they just proved it again.

Closing shot

NBC broadcaster Roger Maltbie has covered fifteen Ryder Cups in his career. The veteran announcer spoke Saturday with Golf Monthly about Team USA and how he hasn’t seen them look this loose together since 2008 at Vallhalla for their 16.5 to 11.5 rout of Team Europe.

Especially seeing the likes of Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa together during practice days this week.

Though Europe trails massively 11-5, Maltbie sees a silver lining.

“I’m a big believer in momentum in the Ryder Cup, and if Europe can get some points early (Sunday) that could change the way the day plays out,” Maltbie said.

“But first, Padraig absolutely needs better play out of Rory McIlroy, he’s a crucial leader to this team and they are missing some energy from him.

Maltbie suggested Harrington front-load his picks today (Sunday) to give himself his best chance, and that essentially is what the captain has done.

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Garrett Johnston is a golf reporter and presenter who’s covered pro golf for 12 years including over 30 majors. His goal each year is always to “grow with the rookies” on Tour. The idea is to get to know the superstars before they become household names. Tony Finau, Gary Woodland, and Patrick Reed are just some of the players Johnston has covered from their early pro careers for their hometown newspapers. Johnston’s favorite event is always The Open, and he credits his unforgettable experience covering the 2015 Open at St. Andrews where he got to interview Tom Watson (in his final Open) and winner Zach Johnson exclusively throughout the week as his favorite event so far. Johnston has also developed a strong rapport with Tour caddies and regularly contributes to Caddie Network and Golf.com. He also has his own podcast: Beyond The Clubhouse

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