FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The most notable names on each side of the Ryder Cup finally addressed the elephant in the room at Bethpage Black on Thursday morning.

Europe’s Rory McIlroy versus USA’s Bryson DeChambeau had a ton of steam and animosity heading into the week, and both would love the chance to compete against each other this weekend

“Look, I think rivalries are good for the game of golf, and albeit, I have the ultimate respect for Rory as a player,” DeChambeau said. “It’s going to be fun to go up against him this week, whether it’s against him directly or through other players. I think it’s going to be a fun challenge this week.

“Would I love to go up against him? Yeah. It would be a lot of fun. Is it going to happen? It’s not likely. I mean, maybe once. You never know. I don’t know if there’s planning behind the scenes or whatnot. But look, he’s a fierce competitor, a great competitor, but one that I would love the opportunity to play against this week.”

McIlroy echoed the same sentiment

“I promised [captain] Luke [Donald] I would only talk about the European Team today. I’m going to stick to it,” McIlroy said. “No, look, I think, again, it’s so easy to play into narratives this week and to get swept up in this whole rivalries and Ryder Cup and whatever it is. All I want to do is go and try and put blue points on the board. I don’t care who it’s against. If I come up against Bryson at some point, I think that’s great. I think that’s wonderful for the championship and wonderful for us, as well, in some ways.”

The two went back and forth through the media, firing shots at each other in the weeks leading up to the tournament, building up anticipation for a potential matchup between the two — with the most publicly desired timing being Sunday’s single matches.

“I’ll be chirping in [McIlroy’s] ear this time. Now, if we go up against each other, I mean, you can be sure of it,” DeChambeau said in July at the “Happy Gilmore 2″ premiere.

McIlroy responded in an exclusive interview with The Guardian in August by saying, “I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people. That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie [Scheffler] or others.”

The friction between the two dates at least back to the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. McIlroy famously missed a bunch of short putts on the final few holes, opening the door for DeChambeau to steal a major championship from the 36-year-old.

The two were then paired up during the final round of the 2025 Masters, where McIlroy, a native of Northern Ireland, claimed his first green jacket and completed the career grand slam. DeChambeau told the media after that the Irishman didn’t speak a word to him during the entire round, adding another layer to their rivalry.

Now, everything has led to this point, where the two can potentially match up against one another in what is anticipated to be the most hostile and energetic environment ever seen on a golf course.

Ultimately, the decision is on the captains — USA’s Keegan Bradley and Europe’s Donald — as they will decide who plays who this weekend.

For as much love as there has been for DeChambeau on the grounds of Bethpage this week — all you have to do is listen to where the crowd is the loudest to know where he is — the animosity from the Long Island crowd towards McIlroy has been equally matched in terms of energy as the boos are extremely prominent wherever the five-time major champion steps foot on the course.

In a way, it’s America’s hero against their most hated villain and there’s a chance it could all come to a head this weekend at the Black.

Course conditions

It was a rainy Thursday at Bethpage, which will play a factor in the conditions of the course this weekend.

The rough is shorter than most locals have ever seen, setting up for a birdie fest at the 45th Ryder Cup. While the rain will make the cut-down rough a bit nastier, it will also make the conditions of the course softer and the greens more receptive, allowing players to fire at flags without concern of a firm bounce off the green.

In other words — and this is a rarity at the Black, which is known to be a famously difficult track — it’s going to be difficult for the golf course to beat these players; they will have to beat each other.

Friday’s morning session will kick off at 7:10 a.m. as the Captains will announce the pairings and matchups on Thursday at 4 p.m.

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