PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau was among the players receiving a personal message from American Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley at Royal Portrush this week.
“He put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational,” DeChambeau said Sunday.
“It meant a lot.”
Helped by a strong comeback at the British Open, DeChambeau appears to be headed for a return to the U.S. team for the matches against Europe at Bethpage Black in September.
He looked to be on his way home after shooting 7-over 78 in the first round Thursday, only to dig deep and bounce back with 65-68-64 finish. He was in a tie for 10th place, following up a tie for fifth at the Masters and tied second at the PGA Championship.
DeChambeau has seven top-10 finishes in his last 13 appearances in the majors, including a win at the U.S. Open last year.
DeChambeau solidified the No. 5 spot in the points standings for U.S. Ryder Cup qualifying. The top six qualify automatically to the team and Bradley also has six picks.
Because he plays on the LIV Golf circuit, DeChambeau cannot gain any more points before the qualifying period finishes after four more tournaments.
One way or the other, DeChambeau figures to be at Bethpage for his third Ryder Cup.
“I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that’s going to be rooting for Team USA,” said the 31-year-old DeChambeau, whose popular YouTube channel adds to his status as one of the world’s most famous golfers.
The U.S. team will be looking to win back the cup from Europe after a loss in Italy in 2023, when DeChambeau didn’t play.
“This year’s no joke,” he said. “We’re tired of it. We’re tired of losing.”
DeChambeau was proud of the way he recovered from his poor round on Thursday at Portrush, helped in part by the better-than-forecast conditions at the links course off the North Atlantic.
“I always told you guys I like it when it’s fair conditions. I can play well,” said the player nicknamed “The Scientist.” "I still have to crack the code when it’s raining and windy. But I feel like we’re getting close to some opportunities and solutions for that.
“It just takes a long time to develop stuff. I’m starting to learn.”
Sergio Garcia played his last 16 holes at the British Open without a driver after snapping it in a rage after a bad drive.
Garcia slammed his driver onto the ground after hooking his tee shot on No. 2. It split in two and he threw the half containing the club head toward his golf bag.
“I’ve done that 50 times, and I’ve never broken a club,” he said. “The shaft just snapped in half and I was surprised.”
Garcia went on to make birdie at the second hole and had four more in a 68 to finish 3 under for the tournament.
Shane Lowry stood over his ball beside the green at No. 18 and thought of Justin Rose 27 years ago.
Lowry said it would have felt “pretty cool” to hole out at the 72nd hole to cap the Irishman's homecoming at Royal Portrush, just like Rose famously did as an amateur at Royal Birkdale in England in 1998.
The ball rolled toward the hole, struck the flagstick and stayed out. Lowry signed for a closing 5-under 66 but there would be no second claret jug for him at Portrush, after 2019.
Who knows, the next time the island of Ireland stages a British Open it might be at Portmarnock — a course 30 minutes from Lowry's house. The R&A has started a feasibility study regarding whether the seaside links north of Dublin can be added to the 10-venue rotation.
“I’d be able to stay at home and play in an Open,” Lowry said. “It’s one of the best golf courses in the world. I think it’s good enough to host an Open, and hopefully it will soon.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States putts on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/STR)
USA's Bryson DeChambeau on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
USA's Bryson DeChambeau on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers could have outside linebacker T.J. Watt back for their “win or go home” showdown with Baltimore for the AFC North title on Sunday night.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he's “more optimistic” than he has been that the perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher will be available after sitting out each of the past three games while recovering from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung sustained following a dry needling treatment.
Tomlin added he'd like to see Watt practice fully at some point this week. Watt was a limited participant last week before being held out of Sunday's 13-6 loss to Cleveland, a setback that cost the Steelers (9-7) a chance to wrap up the division with a week to go.
Now, Pittsburgh either needs to win or tie the Ravens (8-8) on Sunday night to win the AFC North for the first time since 2020.
Tomlin doesn't think Watt's extended downtime will have a significant impact on the 31-year-old Watt's stamina, should he be cleared to play.
“I doubt that TJ is ever out of football shape or conditioning over the course of a 12-month calendar,” Tomlin said. “I just know how he lives his life and how he prepares and how thoughtful he is in terms of what he puts in his body and how we trains.”
While Watt's familiar No. 90 could return, massive tight end Darnell Washington is out indefinitely after having surgery on Monday for a broken arm suffered in the first half against the Browns. Tomlin did not rule out Washington's potential availability should Pittsburgh advance to the playoffs, though the Steelers would likely need to make a deep run to have any chance of seeing the uniquely talented 6-foot-7, 300-plus-pound Washington in the huddle.
Wide receiver Calvin Austin III (hamstring), veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo (triceps), cornerback Brandon Echols (groin) and cornerback James Pierre (calf) — all of whom sat out last week — could return against the Ravens.
The Steelers will need as many healthy bodies available as possible, particularly on offense, to avoid a stunning late collapse. Pittsburgh sputtered in Cleveland without suspended wide receiver DK Metcalf, who will also sit out this week as punishment for making contact with a fan in Detroit earlier this month.
Pittsburgh managed just 160 net yards passing against the Browns, a big chunk of it coming on a last-second drive that ended with Aaron Rodgers throwing incomplete in the end zone to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on three consecutive plays.
Rodgers had perhaps his best game of the season in Pittsburgh's road win at Baltimore on Dec. 7, thanks in large part to a seven-catch, 148-yard performance from Metcalf. Downfield shots were nowhere to be found on a blustery day in Cleveland, where Rodgers' longest completion was a 29-yarder to tight end Pat Freiermuth.
While Tomlin allowed both teams will add a “wrinkle” or two in the rematch, the reality is scheme is unlikely to play a significant role in a series that has produced its fair share of memorable high-stakes meetings through the years.
The stakes should keep the Steelers from having a hangover after letting the lowly Browns jump to an early 10-point lead before holding on.
Asked if it was frustrating to lose to a team that came in with just three wins on the season with so much on the line, Tomlin shrugged.
“Man, there’s a lot of things that you could get frustrated about in our business,” he said. “I’ve learned to kind of always move forward. My windshield is much bigger than my rearview.”
Maybe, but there's a chance the game could also be the 264th and final regular-season game of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' Hall of Fame-caliber career. The 42-year-old four-time MVP said over the summer that his 21st season could be his last, though he also said last week he feels as if he's aging backward and has been relatively healthy save for a broken left wrist that forced him to sit out a loss to Chicago in late November.
Rodgers said on Sunday that he expects Pittsburgh to recover and beat the Ravens. That inherent confidence is one of the reasons the Steelers spent months courting him in free agency last spring.
“That’s one of the things that made him really attractive to us, that ‘can do’ attitude and the experience and resume that goes with it,” Tomlin said. “I don’t think it’s work for him. I think it is as natural as breathing. And so if he’s breathing, I expect to see that from him as we lean in on this game."
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
