Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee never shies away from criticizing LIV Golf. LIV’s biggest stars like Bryson DeChambeau rarely get a pass either. But Chamblee had nothing but good things to say about DeChambeau on his latest podcast episode.
In addition to calling Bryson one of the “top 5 players in the world,” he also revealed that DeChambeau got into a heated slow play dispute with an R&A rules official at the 2025 Open Championship.
And he argued that dispute shows why the two-time U.S. Open champion will be a huge boon to the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team.
DeChambeau complains about slow play at Open
The fact that DeChambeau had an issue with slow play during the Open at Royal Portrush is not news. After the third round, Bryson revealed that his pairing had been put on the clock for pace of play.
Bryson DeChambeau offers solution for ‘out of control’ pace of play
By:
Sean Zak
“[The R&A] official said we just kept losing time,” DeChambeau explained on Saturday at the Open. “Unfortunately, on the 16/17 exchange, you’ve got a downhill, drivable hole you can play pretty quick if you get it in the right spot. They did that and we just lost more time to the group in front of us. They put us on the clock, which was unfortunate.”
He also suggested an easy solution to slow play in pro events: put everyone on the clock all the time.
“It’s very simple,” DeChambeau said. “It’s not difficult at all. You individually time everybody for their whole entire round. It’s very simple. Nobody wants to do it. Because people are too scared to get exposed. Which, I’m an advocate for. I’d love to be timed, and I have no problem with that.”
Chamblee reveals new details on Bryson’s slow play flap
On this week’s episode of their podcast “The Favorite Chamblee,” Brandel Chamblee and his wife, Bailey Chamblee, got to talking about DeChambeau and the Open.
That’s when Brandel revealed more color to DeChambeau’s slow play dispute at the Open than previously known.
While explaining how Bryson can be “cantankerous” on the course, Chamblee said that when DeChambeau was put on the clock at the Open, he got “right in the face” of the rules official who made the decision.
“[Dechambeau] was told to speed it up on 17 out there [at the Open Championship] by the R&A in the third round, I think, and he took strong exception to it. Got right in the face of the R&A guy,” Chamblee said on the podcast. “So he can be quite cantankerous. He’s got a little Eddie Haskell in him. He turns it on when the camera comes on and wants to look like he’s doing the right thing, pretend like he is doing the right thing, but out there it’s very much a me, me, me environment.”
Why ‘cantankerous’ DeChambeau would be good for Ryder Cup
It’s essential to note that Chamblee’s comments were not meant as a slight to DeChambeau. Instead, Chamblee was using the example of the Open slow play dispute as a reason Bryson would influence the 2025 Ryder Cup “in a positive way.”
Chamblee said that DeChambeau is a lock for the U.S. team, adding, “You can’t deny he is one of the most exciting players in the game of golf and one of the best players in the game of golf, and he will add to the frenzied atmosphere at the Ryder Cup.”
He then expounded on the reasons Bryson will be great for this September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
“He’s one hell of a player and hits it nine miles and does all these amazing things, so he’ll put on a great performance at the Ryder Cup and the fans will love it,” Chamblee said. “So I think the Ryder Cup is going to be heightened by his being there.”
You can listen to the full episode of “The Favorite Chamblee” podcast here.
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Kevin Cunningham
Golf.com Editor
As senior managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.