Come on, Ryder Cup, give us the Bryson DeChambeau vs. Rory McIlroy match we all want to see

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, round three, is the matchup everyone wants to see at the 45th Ryder Cup. 

DeChambeau won the first round when he took the U.S. Open in 2024 at Pinehurst and McIlroy returned the favor by outdueling him at the Masters in April. Adding to the intrigue, there’s been plenty of jabs back and forth between the two in the press making it unclear who exactly is living rent-free inside whose head. DeChambeau expressed disappointment that McIlroy wouldn’t talk to him during the final round of the Masters when they were paired together.

On the prospect of facing Rory McIlroy in the Ryder Cup, DeChambeau said at the “Happy Gilmore 2” premiere in July, “I’ll be chirping in (McIlroy’s ear this time, Now, if we go up against each other, I mean, you can be sure of it.” 

McIlroy fired back with his own dig at DeChambeau in an interview with The Guardian. “I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people. That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others.”

Given that the Ryder Cup is going to compete against a strong slate of college football games on Saturday not to mention the 800-pound Gorilla that is the NFL on Sunday, if these two popular players in their own different ways and at times lightning rods for controversy don’t meet, what are we even doing here? 

That’s why it's time for the Ryder Cup to do away with its antiquated system of the opposing captains submitting their lineups blind. As a result, it's a crapshoot whether they face off this week. The Presidents Cup, which does a live presentation and goes back and forth with picks, is much more entertaining and involves less luck in getting the matches that will drive interest.

NBC’s Jim “Bones” Mackay, who has been involved in every Ryder Cup since 1991, agreed except he pushed for world No. 2 McIlroy to face No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, which would be quite the crowd pleaser, too. Bones suggested the captains should talk in advance and make “a gentleman's agreement” to set up a Must-See-TV matchup. 

“I think it would be amazing, as I said, if we have a very competitive Ryder Cup heading into Sunday, which I anticipate will be the case, that one of them sends a text to the other or they just have a gentlemen’s agreement to at least, insofar as Rory and Scottie are concerned, put them out against each other. I think the fans deserve it,” he said. “I think everybody, the millions at home watching it on NBC, deserves it. I just think it would be an amazing thing to witness.”

DeChambeau, for one, wouldn’t be opposed to a battle royale with McIlroy on Sunday. 

“Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. It would be a lot of fun," DeChambeau said. "Is it going to happen? It's not likely. I mean, maybe once. You never know.”

There would be a much better chance if the Ryder Cup updated its process for selecting matches. Tradition for tradition sake loses 9 and 8 when there's clearly a better way. Even DeChambeau expressed his dismay that a matchup with McIlroy is a long-shot, but it doesn’t have to be, and he alluded to the possibility that there could be some backroom discussions to ensure a showdown.

“I don't know if there's planning behind the scenes or whatnot,” he said. “But look, he's a fierce competitor, a great competitor, but one that I would love the opportunity to play against this week.”

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ryder Cup needs a Bryson DeChambeau vs. Rory McIlroy match at Bethpage