Scottie Scheffler claimed he wouldn’t have defeated Rory McIlroy without the inspiration provided by Bryson DeChambeau’s heroic comeback.
The World No. 1 endured a nightmare Ryder Cup through the opening rounds, suffering defeats in all four matches during Friday and Saturday’s action. His caddie, Ted Scott, also got into a heated altercation and took action before the final day. However, he delivered when the pressure was at its peak, overcoming McIlroy in a crucial singles encounter, after he and DeChambeau had explained their nightmare playing together the previous afternoon.
It comes after Keegan Bradley was brutally laughed at by Team Europe over his rule change demand.
The battle between the pair remained deadlocked until Scheffler seized control at the 14th hole. He maintained his advantage by matching McIlroy’s scores down the stretch, securing a narrow 1UP victory.
This year’s Open Championship victor was following the example set by DeChambeau, who endured his own nightmare opening. The LIV Golf sensation found himself trailing by five shots after just seven holes against Matt Fitzpatrick, yet mounted an extraordinary fightback to salvage a tie and secure a vital point.
Scheffler revealed that witnessing DeChambeau’s determination directly ahead of him provided the motivation needed for his own comeback.
“It’s something that means a lot to us, and like I said, I love these guys on this team,” Scheffler reflected on the final day battle. “It’s a special group.
“The fight that these guys showed today, the fight that Bryson showed today and yesterday, I mean, the way he played in our match in the afternoon was amazing, and I don’t think I could have done what I did in my match today if he didn’t do what he was doing in front of me.
“He’s an emotional leader of our team and he’s been great, and I’m proud to be battling with guys like that out here.”
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Reflecting on his performance, Scheffler shared, “Battled really hard yesterday and the first day. Things just did not work out the way I anticipated, but I was proud to be able to get a point today. It’s tough; playing all five matches is a grind.
“Rory and I even chatted about that a little bit today. It was a grind, and I’m pretty tired, but I’m proud of the fight that our team showed. Keegan did a good job putting us in position and keeping the energy up, and the guys were motivated to come out and play. We’ve showed a lot of fight today.”
On Bradley’s contribution, Scheffler stated, “Keegan has been amazing. All our vice captains have been great. This has been a really special team, and it’s been a lot of fun.
“This week did not go how I anticipated it going for myself, and I’m a little bit bummed, but these guys on this team, they picked me up when I needed it last night, and we’ve got a great team.”
