By Amy Tennery
FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) -Ryder Cup fans eager to watch the latest chapter unfold in a bitter rivalry between Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau were made to wait on Thursday, as the American said he would let his clubs do the talking at Bethpage Black this week.
The Northern Irishman hopes to lead Europe to retain their title on Long Island, where the American DeChambeau makes his return to the biennial golf tournament.
There is no love lost between the two but each watched their tone while facing reporters on Thursday, with DeChambeau saying he had “ultimate respect” for McIlroy as a player and McIlroy saying he would welcome playing against DeChambeau.
“It’s going to be fun to go up against him this week, whether it’s against him directly or through other players,” said DeChambeau, in contrast to previous remarks in which he promised to be “chirping” in McIlroy’s ear this week.
The two were in the final pairing at the Masters, where McIlroy reportedly met DeChambeau with stony silence as he completed his long-craved career Grand Slam.
A lightning rod for attention, the LIV Golf player danced around controversy at the rain-drenched Long Island course, days after Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said he was a “captain’s nightmare” and called his YouTube viewership numbers “dubious”.
“Any time that people can throw stuff at me like that, I enjoy it. I appreciate it. I think it’s good for, ultimately, the game of golf because it starts to spur conversation on,” said DeChambeau, who is playing in his third Ryder Cup.
The smiling twice major winner has become a fan favourite since earning the nickname “the scientist” for his analytical approach to the game, amassing more than 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube.
And his popularity has grown even as he has rankled golf’s old guard after joining the breakaway LIV circuit three years ago.
The defection made it more difficult for him to qualify for the match-play competition, with his only opportunity to earn qualifying points coming at the majors, and he was not on the team when the U.S. lost in Rome two years ago.
“I wanted to be there. Didn’t play well enough in the majors. Knew what I was up against when I went to LIV,” said DeChambeau. “Seeing the guys lose really put a fire in my stomach and I wanted to make the team this time around.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Farmingdale, New YorkEditing by Toby Davis)
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