Bryson DeChambeau shows true colours with message to Olympic golfers after missing out

Despite narrowly missing out on a place in the USA’s four-man golf team for the Paris Olympics, Bryson DeChambeau has shown support for his fellow American golfers competing in the tournament.

LIV Golf star DeChambeau has been one of the standout players of 2024, winning the US Open and finishing second at the PGA Championship. His charismatic and passionate displays have earned him a new legion of fans.

Despite his impressive performance this season, DeChambeau did not make it into the four-man squad that Team USA sent to Paris. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, and Collin Morikawa are representing the USA at Le Golf National. The tournament started on Thursday.

They secured their spots for Paris by being in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The OWGR has not sanctioned LIV Golf since its inception in 2022 due to concerns over its format and playing regulations. As a result, players from the Saudi Arabia-funded league have slipped down the rankings, with DeChambeau starting this season outside the top 100. His performances in the majors have catapulted him back into the top 10, but he remained behind the American quartet in the rankings. Olympic rules allow a maximum of four players from each nation to qualify.

The qualification system has been questioned by some players who believe it is unfair to LIV players and reduces the quality of the competition. However, 30-year-old DeChambeau issued a gracious message to his fellow countrymen after Thursday’s opening round.

“Shoutout to the guys in Paris this week,” he posted on X. “Of course, I would love to be out there competing with them, but no matter the situation, I’ll always be rooting for a Team USA victory.”

The golfer had previously expressed his frustration about not being able to compete, but acknowledged that his decision to join LIV Golf as a founding member in 2022 came with consequences. He said, “Am I frustrated and disappointed? Sure, you could absolutely say that, but I made the choices that I made and there’s consequences to that and I respect it. But hopefully, sooner rather than later, we figure out this great game of golf, so we can get past all of that and move forward into showing how awesome this sport actually is around the globe.”

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama took the lead after a stunning first round at Le Golf National, carding an eight-under-par 63. Hot on his heels is Open champion Schauffele at six-under, while Scheffler trails by a further two shots. Morikawa finds himself tied for 29th place at one-under, and Clark is just one shot clear of last place at four-over.