Bryson DeChambeau or Collin Morikawa: Is this a Ryder Cup dilemma Zach Johnson could face?
Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa were teammates at the 2021 Ryder Cup and significantly contributed to the USA’s crushing victory over Europe.
But things have changed since then.
DeChambeau isn’t on the PGA Tour anymore but recently romped to victory at LIV Golf Greenbrier with a 58. He finds himself cut adrift from the top of the US Ryder Cup rankings.
Morikawa has finished second twice on the PGA Tour in 2023, but his putting woes have continued and he is among a number of hopeful Americans around the top-12 bubble.
The pair have two things in common: a desire to be on the 2023 US Ryder Cup side, but neither is guaranteed a spot on Zach Johnson’s team in Rome.
If Johnson’s selection process came down to these major champions, who would you select? The Slam Podcast team pondered this:
Leave Bryson out and you’ll regret it!
Collin Morikawa is, without doubt, one of the best players in the world. There is no question of that. However, Bryson DeChambeau is playing at a different level right now, says Matt Coles.
DeChambeau made history earlier this month with he shot the first sub-60 round in LIV Golf history.
He did so on his way to a comfortable victory at the Greenbrier. It was not just a sub-60 either, it was a 58 – only the seventh in men’s professional golfing history.
To make it more remarkable, he did so just 24 hours after carding a second round of 61, which had tied the record for the lowest round in LIV Golf history.
So DeChambeau is in form, and he has Ryder Cup experience. We all saw what he did with the big stick at Whistling Straits a couple of years ago.
The par-5 5th hole was a dog-leg right, though Bryson didn’t seem to see it like that. He drove the ball over everything. That was a 417-yard drive on the opening day of the competition.
He went on to drive the green on the opening hole later in the week, sinking the putt to make another eagle and set the tone.
DeChambeau has changed his game slightly since then. The protein shake diet seems to be a thing of the past, but the man is the same, and so is the fear that the Europeans will have if he gets that driver-wedge game going again.
Pick DeChambeau, and he can take the US Ryder Cup team to glory. Don’t pick him, and it could be one of the worst decisions in Ryder Cup history.
Collin Morikawa will be chosen – and that is that
I can’t see a world where Collin Morikawa isn’t chosen for Team USA, says Matt Chivers.
He has made five top-10s this year, with two top-three finishes coming at the start of the season – albeit one was a runner-up finish when collapsing at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
But he recorded top-15 finishes at The Masters, The Players Championship and the US Open too, and we’re quick to forget he lost in a playoff at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
He is 10th in strokes gained in total on the PGA Tour and unsurprisingly ranked second in strokes gained from tee to green.
He might have fallen to 20th in the world rankings, and he isn’t found in the top 100 of strokes gained in putting – something that is crucial at the Ryder Cup.
But are we seriously leaving Collin Morikawa out of the US Ryder Cup team? A two-time major champion who is part of this rich list of young American talent we all spend our days lauding?
Zach Johnson is the captain, but he doesn’t need to be a hero. He shouldn’t overcomplicate this decision by choosing DeChambeau, who could cause all manner of issues with the team dynamic too.
Morikawa is versatile in pairings and won 3.5 points out of 4 in 2021 on his Ryder Cup debut.
I would be completely stunned if Morikawa didn’t play in Rome. Leaving him out would be an unnecessary risk.
Would you opt for a Bryson DeChambeau Ryder Cup pick? Tell us with a tweet!
Read more: No Collin Morikawa Ryder Cup selection?! Hear our 2023 predicted Ryder Cup line-ups on The Slam!
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
