Tiger Woods’ ex-coach slams Bryson DeChambeau decision as ‘absolute joke’

Bryson DeChambeau, the reigning U.S. Open champion, has been controversially excluded from the United States golf team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Despite his impressive performances in major tournaments, DeChambeau did not make the cut for the four-player American squad, which is exclusively comprised of PGA Tour participants: reigning Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Hank Haney, former coach of golf legend Tiger Woods, who decried the omission as politically motivated. Haney suggests that the choice was made to undermine LIV Golf, the rival tour to the PGA Tour, and its prominent figures. “What an absolute joke that Bryson DeChambeau isn’t on the American team. It’s so wrong,” Haney vented on social media platform X. “They want to hurt LIV Golf, but what gets hurt is the game of golf.”

DeChambeau expressed his disappointment over the snub, acknowledging his desire to represent his country in such a prestigious international event. “I would love to represent the United States,” DeChambeau told ESPN. “It was tough for me not to go last time because of COVID, and it’s just one of those things that happened. Hopefully, one day this game of golf will get figured out and come back together, and I’ll be able to play.”

Reflecting on the situation, DeChambeau admitted to feeling frustrated but maintained a hopeful outlook. “I’m playing great golf, I’m excited. So, yeah, am I frustrated and disappointed? Sure, you can absolutely say that,” he said. “But I made the choices that I made, and there are consequences to that, and I respect it. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we figure this out so in this great game of golf we can get past all that and move forward into showing how awesome this sport really is around the globe.”

In contrast to DeChambeau’s absence, Rory McIlroy, who finished as the runner-up in the 2024 U.S. Open, will be representing Ireland at the Paris Games, despite his recent setback at Pinehurst No. 2, where he failed to break his decade-long major drought due to putting issues. McIlroy will be accompanied by fellow Irishman Shane Lowry.

Despite his own disappointment, DeChambeau spoke supportively of McIlroy after their recent competition. “I’m sure it will fuel Rory’s fire even more. He’s a strong-minded individual,” DeChambeau said, demonstrating sportsmanship. “For me, it was knowing how good my game is, how great of a place it’s in, and just continuing to execute, knowing the statistics would eventually fall my way. Still hope. Golf, it’s a game of luck. There’s a lot of luck that has to happen and go your way out there.”

DeChambeau concluded with optimism about future competitions and a desire for more exciting matchups. “I knew if I could give my 100% effort on every single shot, I’d give myself a good chance this week, just like I did at the PGA, just like I did at the Masters. Rory is going to win another major. I’d love to have a lot more battles with him. It would be a lot of fun. But, yeah, Rory’s going to do it at some point.”

The decision to exclude DeChambeau continues to stir debate, highlighting the ongoing tensions between different factions within professional golf. As the sport grapples with these divides, players and fans alike hope for a resolution that will unite the golf world and showcase its true potential on the global stage.