While the New York crowd peppered Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry with insults on Saturday afternoon at the Ryder Cup, tensions flared inside the ropes with the four-ball match closest behind.
The confrontation occurred on Bethpage’s 15th green, ignited by Justin Rose telling Bryson DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, to back off while he read his 15-foot birdie putt. Cameras showed Bodine encroaching on Rose’s line as he and DeChambeau were preparing for an 11-footer of their own.
After Rose and DeChambeau traded makes, maintaining the European’s 3-up advantage, several arguments ensured, involving not only Bodine and Rose but DeChambeau, Rose’s partner Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott and European assistant Francesco Molinari. The only person that appeared to refrain from the jawing was Scheffler, who walked toward the 16th tee with his arm around U.S. assistant Kevin Kisner.
At one point, Ian Finnis could be heard telling DeChambeau to “chill out” as he exchanged words with Fleetwood while they exited the green. Scott was shown screaming at Rose, and a few moments later, he got in Molinari’s face after the European captain looked to have accidentally bumped Scott as he walked up to him. Fleetwood had to then step in.
When the group reached the 16th tee box, NBC on-course reporter Smylie Kaufman said, “No exaggeration guys, every single person on this tee is heated.”
Eventually, everyone cooled, and after the match ended in a 3-and-2 European victory, Rose explained what happened to NBC’s Damon Hack.
“It was a shame that the match got to that point because it was actually a really great match,” said Rose, who moved to 2-0, one of three Europeans still undefeated this week along with Fleetwood (4-0) and McIlroy (3-0-1).
“I was waiting to putt, the boys were obviously working on their read, obviously going through a lot of their sort of whatever, calculations and bits and pieces, so I sort of waited a few seconds and then I felt like they came up again and I was sort of – I was like, ‘It’s my putt,’ right, or however I said it. Maybe I didn’t say it as politely as I could have said it in the moment, but by no means was there any disrespect or anything like that, but obviously it was taken the wrong way.
“Yeah, I don’t think we should dwell on that, honestly. I said to the boys, if you want me to say, ‘Excuse me, please,’ then yeah, my bad.”
Tensions flare between Rose, DeChambeau, caddies
A miscommunication about whose turn it is to putt on the 15th at the Ryder Cup results in a tense exchange between Europe’s Justin Rose, USA’s Bryson DeChambeau and the caddies.
While Rose talked, NBC cut to a shot of DeChambeau and Scheffler walking away. DeChambeau was then shown appearing to tell the cameraman to stop filming them.
The two Americans declined to speak on the broadcast and were not asked about the incident in a brief post-round interview.
“Bryson and I did some good stuff out there,” Scheffler said. “We were into a tough matchup today. Those guys played great. They made a ton of putts and really tip of a cap to them. They played better than we did.”
Fleetwood added: “It happens. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”
The scene was reminiscent of the Saturday four-ball match two years ago in Rome when McIlroy took issue with U.S. caddie Joe LaCava getting in his space while he was reading his putt on the 18th green. McIlroy later exploded in the parking lot and had to be held back from another caddie, Bones Mackay, by Lowry.
Rose didn’t anticipate any prolonging of tempers this time.
“I hope so,” Rose said when asked if the issue had been put to bed. “I spoke to the boys. It should be in my opinion. There was no intent behind it whatsoever. Like I said, I think especially Scottie, – I admire him more than anybody else out on Tour, the way he goes about his business, the way he goes about his life, and obviously just huge respect all around. Yeah, but from my point of view, it was something that was sort of taken in a way that wasn’t intended in a way, but obviously it was a big putt, big moment. I’m trying to control my environment as well in that scenario. We’re all competitors, right, so I think that’s all within the framework of what we’ve got to do out here.
“But yeah, happy days, I think, all around.”’
For the Europeans, at least. They lead by a record seven points entering Sunday singles.
