Despite winning his second US Open championship on Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau’s world ranking prevents him from competing for Team USA in the summer Olympics in Paris, 2024.
Bryson DeChambeau, the winner of the US Open, expressed his “frustration and disappointment” at not being able to compete for Team USA in the Olympics in Paris.
Days after winning his second US Open championship, DeChambeau’s happiness has given way to disappointment because he will not be participating in the summer Olympics. Taking advantage of Rory McIlroy’s disastrous back four, the 30-year-old won his second major on Sunday.
Nevertheless, DeChambeau will not be competing in the Paris final four for gold because of his affiliation with LIV Golf. Only 60 golfers, with a maximum of four players per nation if those stars are among the top 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), are allowed to compete in the Olympic competition.
Because the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund-backed organization does not receive any OWGR points, DeChambeau has only been able to move up the rankings through the nine counting events and has not been able to accrue points through LIV Golf events.
The Californian’s rise from No. 38 to No. 10 in the rankings is astounding, but he is only the sixth American, behind Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, and Patrick Cantlay.
On the Pat McAfee show, the golfer expressed his disappointment at not being able to compete in the Olympics, saying, “I would love to represent the United States.” The last time around, I was difficult for me due to Covid; it was just an unfortunate event.
“Hopefully, golf will be resolved and reconstructed eventually, allowing me to participate. Yes, you can say that I’m excited and I’m playing great golf, but I’m also frustrated and disappointed. I accept that I made the decisions I did and that they have consequences. But hopefully we figure that out sooner rather than later.”
The final four competitors for the US were announced after the US Open, with world No. 1 Scheffler and No. 3 Schauffele confirming their places ahead of the competition. Clark and Morikawa secured their spots following Sunday’s completion, while Cantlay just missed out by finishing T3. Cantlay needed to win or place second at Pinehurst No. 2.
McIlroy, in the meantime, expressed his congratulations to DeChambeau on social media, writing: “First of all, I’d like to congratulate Bryson. He is the ideal addition to the professional golf game at this time, a deserving champion. I believe everyone can agree on that.
“When I look back on my week, I’ll regret a few things that happened during the competition—mostly, the two putts that I missed on the last day on holes 16 and 18. I will, however, focus on the positives of the week, which far outweigh the negatives, as I always try to do.
“I feel like I’m closer than ever to taking home my next major championship, as I stated at the beginning of the competition. Resilient is the one word I would use to sum up my career. Over the past 17 years, I have repeatedly demonstrated my resilience, and I will do so once more.”
