This is not an appetizer for the Ryder Cup. Not even a preparation stage. Both concepts fall short. What is happening this week in the Napa Valley, where the first tournament of the PGA Tour’s autumn is being played with the presence of ten members of the American Ryder team, is a full-blown conspiracy.
We have already told you that all of Keegan Bradley‘s men will play together for the first two days of the tournament, in addition to having practiced together on Tuesday, they are all staying in the same house, Bryson DeChambeau will attend the team dinner tonight, and Xander Schauffele, who seemed to be a discordant element, is not there for a very understandable reason: he became a father for the first time this week.
According to all the specialized American media, the PGA of America reserved a giant house months ago around the Silverado Resort, where the Procore is played, to accommodate all the players, vice-captains, and the captain of the United States team. It’s a gathering. A concentration. They spend every minute together when they are not on the golf course. We already said that Keegan Bradley was determined to build a team in every sense of the word, and he has certainly put all the means to achieve it. It’s about building unity. Ultimately, the goal is to resemble Europe more in this aspect.
Another piece of information published across the Atlantic is that Bryson DeChambeau, after raffling a Bentley on his social networks, will be at the team dinner tonight, in that same house. As you know, DeChambeau is not competing in the Procore because he cannot, being a LIV player and sanctioned by the PGA Tour. However, he will be at the team dinner. A gesture that clearly demonstrates the commitment of all the players. Bryson took advantage of last weekend to be present at the Walker Cup held at Cypress Point.
Finally, it has been revealed through journalist Doug Ferguson that Xander Schauffele has an explanation for not being at the Procore. Specifically, he became a father to his first child this week. The World Number 2 has kept both the pregnancy and the birth in absolute secrecy.
As we said, yesterday, Tuesday, the Ryder Cup teammates already shared a training day. Specifically, they played together in one match Woodland (vice-captain playing in Napa), Scheffler, Henley, and Spaun, in another Cantlay, Burns, Thomas, and Young, and in a third were Harris English and Collin Morikawa. The possibility of these last two forming a pair together is gaining strength. Finally, Ben Griffin could not go out to play with the rest because he had to attend another prior commitment, but he practiced a little later with Brandt Snedeker, another of the vice-captains.
This is very serious.
