Has 'Mr 58' Bryson DeChambeau Staked His Ryder Cup Claim?

Bryson DeChambeau won his first LIV Golf individual title with a sensational 61-58 final 36-hole score at The Greenbrier.

The Crushers GC captain shot 12-under-par in the final round with 13 birdies and four pars along with one bogey.

It is the culmination of a good run of form for DeChambeau, who was runner-up to Talor Gooch at LIV Golf Valderrama last month after a T4 finish at the PGA Championship in May and a T20 at the US Open in June.

He now sits fifth in the LIV Golf League table and calls have come in from LIV fans that Bryson simply needs to be on Team USA in Rome. 

"Well, I appreciate that," DeChambeau said in response to LIV Golf's Dom Boulet, who told the American that he deserved to be on Team USA.

"I'm playing really well. I've got some equipment that's performing quite nicely off the driver, and that's a deadly combination with my putting. So clearly I putted well, drove it well, wedged it pretty well.

"You couldn't have written it up better than this, but if I do get a call, that would be awesome. If not, I'll be rooting them on over in Rome."

While he's clearly in good form, it is by far a given that he'll make his third Ryder Cup appearance.

Zach Johnson hasn't exactly shown himself to be a huge fan, or follower, of LIV Golf this year - after hinting in May that he didn't even know which channel it was on - and three-time LIV winner Talor Gooch is probably ahead of Bryson in the pecking order, and even he now seems an unlikely pick for Johnson.

Once Johnson's six automatic qualifiers are confirmed, he'll have an extra six picks. As things stand, the front runners for those picks will be the likes of Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, Sam Burns and Justin Thomas. Gooch and DeChambeau, along with Dustin Johnson who went 5/5 at Whistling Straits last time out, could find themselves being overlooked.

Realistically, Spieth, Young, Fowler, Homa and Young are all frontrunners to be on the team, meaning there could only be a couple of spots left. Johnson may also opt for Justin Thomas due to his experience and partnership with Jordan Spieth after his T12 at the Wyndham Championship showed that his game is at least trending back towards where it needs to be.

Zach Johnson names his wildcards on the 28th August. DeChambeau has just one event left in the LIV Golf League before the picks are announced - this week at Trump Bedminster. He has just two events left before the Ryder Cup including this week.

Bryson caught the eyes of the golfing world with his 58 at The Greenbrier, including Zach Johnson's, but golf moves on very quickly. If he doesn't win this week and the likes of Finau and Burns light it up in the Playoffs, he may well find himself looking on from the sidelines.

We're set to learn a lot more in the next three weeks as the Playoff events are where those on the verge will either make it in or fall out. If none of the contenders find form and DeChambeau wins or finishes well this week, he might just make it in.

DeChambeau knew what he signed up for when he joined LIV, that his chances to earn Ryder Cup points would come in the four men's Majors. His results this year have been solid (MC-T4-T20-T60) but those alone won't have been enough to walk onto the team.

On the flip side, though, he is clearly playing some excellent golf.

Johnson may fancy him to partner up with Scottie Scheffler in the four balls again, with the duo forming a good partnership last time out. He also won his singles match against Sergio Garcia.

The US Captain may also like the DeChambeau/Koepka partnership with the former rivals now seemingly close friends.

So has he staked his Ryder Cup claim? Yes but no.

Only time will tell, but his 58 may just be a little too late with the US side set to play three consecutive weeks in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Johnson's PGA Tour wildcard hopefuls will be doing their best to catch his eye before the picks are announced on 28th August, and one or two might do just that.