LIV star wants to tune up with his teammates, but the PGA Tour won’t let him play.

Captain Keegan Bradley orchestrated the perfect team-building plan: get 10 of his 12 Ryder Cup warriors together at the Procore Championship in Napa, California, just two weeks before Bethpage Black. It’s brilliant strategy—except for one glaring problem. Bryson DeChambeau, one of Team USA’s most explosive weapons, can’t actually tee it up because he’s persona non grata on the PGA Tour thanks to his LIV Golf membership. Even more awkward? He’ll be in Napa anyway, attending the Tuesday night team dinner like the kid who can’t play but still has to watch from the sidelines.

Jumping Ship

The PGA Tour has deemed DeChambeau “not eligible” for competition since he jumped ship to LIV Golf in 2022, and they’re not making any exceptions for Ryder Cup prep. “That’s up to the Tour and their decision to make,” DeChambeau told Golfweek. “It’s on them if they don’t let us become together as a team and play.” He called the scenario “unfortunate” and wished it was different, noting that “LIV’s willing to let me play.” But the PGA Tour isn’t budging, leaving America’s power hitter to watch his teammates bond over birdies while he’s stuck on the outside looking in.

Schauffele’s Different Drama

DeChambeau isn’t the only star missing from Napa. Xander Schauffele, despite being an automatic qualifier after winning his first two majors in 2024, decided to skip the team bonding exercise entirely. Unlike Bryson’s forced absence, Schauffele’s was purely voluntary—he was “undecided” according to his agent before ultimately choosing not to play. The two-time major champion struggled to regain his form after an early-season injury and apparently felt no obligation to join Bradley’s chemistry experiment. At least when Schauffele skips team events, it’s by choice.

Bradley’s Chess Move Gone Wrong

Captain Bradley wanted this Procore Championship to serve as the ultimate team-building opportunity, especially after the U.S. preparation came under scrutiny two years ago in Rome. Getting 10 of 12 players together at Silverado Resort should have been the perfect chemistry lab. Bradley made it clear that participation wasn’t mandatory—”I wouldn’t say there’s an expectation for us to play,” as Schauffele put it—but the idea was to “stay fresh, knock off some rust” before the big show. Instead, Bradley’s dealing with one player who desperately wants to play but can’t, and another who can play but won’t.

The Bigger Picture

DeChambeau’s dedication to the Ryder Cup is undeniable, with his agent confirming that “Bryson plans to participate in every team gathering that he is permitted to attend.” The LIV star has made his priorities crystal clear about the team-first mentality: “This is their show as well, not mine, it’s our show. It’s what we’re gonna do to win the Ryder Cup. That’s it.” While the tours continue their cold war, Bryson’s focus remains laser-sharp on bringing home the cup for America.