Bryson DeChambeau’s caddie, Gregory Bodine, triggered a heated confrontation during Saturday’s Ryder Cup action at Bethpage Black, leaving Justin Rose visibly furious.
The incident unfolded on the 15th green when Rose lined up a putt but noticed Bodine step into his eyeline. The Englishman gestured for the caddie to move, sparking tensions that quickly escalated between both teams.
Rose went on to sink his putt calmly, but DeChambeau’s response was anything but subdued. After holing his own putt, the American celebrated flamboyantly and exchanged words with Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. The fiery atmosphere carried onto the walk toward the 16th tee, where Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, also became involved. At one point, Fleetwood had to intervene to prevent matters from spiraling further, while Team Europe vice-captain Francesco Molinari also found himself in the middle of the row.
Rose was later seen pointing directly at Bodine, making it clear that he was unhappy with the disruption. DeChambeau stood nearby watching, clearly displeased with the situation.
Eventually, Fleetwood’s caddie, Ian Finnis, and Molinari stepped in to diffuse the growing tension. “Now the caddies are getting involved!” remarked Sky Sports Golf as footage of the confrontation spread online.
Despite the heated exchange, Rose and Fleetwood maintained their composure on the course. They went on to close out their match, defeating DeChambeau and Scheffler to secure another vital point for Europe.
Speaking afterwards, Rose admitted the moment could have been handled differently:
> “I was waiting to putt and the boys were working on their read and their calculations. I waited a few seconds and then they came up again. I said, ‘It was my putt,’ but maybe I could have said it more politely. By no means was there any disrespect meant. If I should have said, ‘Excuse me, please,’ then my bad.”
Rose stressed that there was no ill intent and praised Scheffler, making clear he hoped the incident would be put to rest.
Europe went on to extend their advantage with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry defeating Cameron Young and Justin Thomas, despite enduring a hostile atmosphere. McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, even left the course early due to crowd abuse, while Lowry was targeted over his weight and nearly confronted a fan.
The pair responded in the best way possible, securing a crucial point to put Team Europe on 10.5 points—just 3.5 away from retaining the Ryder Cup.
As passions continue to boil over at Bethpage, Saturday’s fiery clashes underline just how much is at stake in this historic showdown.
Leave a Reply