Bryson DeChambeau disappointed by Olympic omission but understood ‘the decisions I made’
Bryson DeChambeau said that it’s “frustrating and disappointing” that he won’t be part of the U.S. Olympic team, but he acknowledged Wednesday that he understood the risk when he signed up for LIV Golf in 2022.
DeChambeau has rocketed to No. 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking following his major victory at the U.S. Open. He also tied for sixth at the Masters and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship to become the second-highest-ranked LIV player, one spot behind Jon Rahm. The majors and other OWGR-sanctioned events are the only way for DeChambeau to improve his world ranking, after the league withdrew its bid for points earlier this year.
The Olympic cutoff was Monday, however, and DeChambeau’s ranking still wasn’t high enough to grab one of the four available spots for the Paris Games. The top four Americans ranked among the top 15 in the world comprised the U.S. squad, with the positions going to No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Xander Schauffele, No. 5 Wyndham Clark and No. 7 Collin Morikawa. Patrick Cantlay, ranked eighth, was also ahead of DeChambeau.
“It’s disappointing, but I understand the decisions I made, and the way things have played out has not been necessarily perfectly according to plan,” DeChambeau told reporters ahead of the LIV event in Nashville. “I’ve done my best up until now to give myself a chance according to the OWGR, but I realize and respect where the current situation of the game is, albeit it’s frustrating and disappointing. Hopefully 2028 will be a little different situation, and it will make it that much sweeter.”
It’s the second consecutive close call in the Olympics for DeChambeau, who was a part of the U.S. team in 2021 but tested positive for COVID before the Tokyo Games and was forced to withdraw. Schauffele earned the gold medal for the Americans, with Morikawa missing out on the bronze in a playoff. Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed also represented the red, white and blue that year.
“I have always loved representing Team USA; it’s been some of the greatest moments of my life. Anytime you get a chance to represent your country, I’m all for it,” DeChambeau said. “Not being able to go in 2020 was unfortunate, for sure. It was very disappointing.”
DeChambeau admitted that he knew he was jeopardizing his Olympic participation when he moved to LIV, but he also thought the professional landscape would be different by now, with the rival league currently in its third year.
“That’s kind of what I thought,” he said. “It hasn’t worked out that way, and again, I respect the decision that I made, and it is what it is. It hurts, but you know what – there’s another one four years later.”