'Nothing Would Mean More' - Bryson DeChambeau Reacts To Missing Out On Olympic Games

The US Open champion had a huge jump up the rankings but it wasn't enough to make USA's four-man squad for Paris 2024

Bryson DeChambeau holds the US Open trophy and an inset of him in a Team USA cap
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bryson DeChambeau says that "nothing would mean more" to him than representing the United States at the Olympics after the US Open champion missed out on one of Team USA's four spots.

Qualification for the games ended after the US Open and, despite his win, DeChambeau came up just shy of making the team. The US is allowed to take four men due to having at least four players ranked inside the world's top 15, with Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa qualifying.

Following his spectacular second US Open win, where he got it up-and-down from 55-yards in a bunker on the 72nd hole, DeChambeau appeared on the Pat McAfee Show where he was asked about not making the team for Paris 2024.

"Nothing would mean more to me than putting on the red, white, and blue for Team USA at the Olympics," DeChambeau wrote on social media when sharing the clip from the show.

"Well I appreciate those words, I would love to represent the United States. It was tough for me not to go last time around because of Covid, just one of those things that happened," he said in response to McAfee's words that DeChambeau should be on the team.

"Hopefully one day this game of golf will get figured out and come back together, and I'll be able to play.

"I'm playing great golf. I'm excited. Am I frustrated and disappointed? Sure you could absolutely say that but I made the choices that I made and there's consequences to that and I respect it.

"But hopefully it's sooner rather than later we figure that out so this great game of golf, we can get past all of that and move forward into showing how awesome this sport actually is around the globe. "

The 30-year-old's next chance of representing USA at the Olympics will be at LA 2028, where the famous Riviera Country Club hosts the action. There is also set to be a mixed-team event for the first time.

DeChambeau tested positive for Covid-19 the week before the Tokyo Olympics last time, which forced him out of his debut and to be replaced by Patrick Reed.

“I am deeply disappointed not to be able to compete in the Olympics for Team USA," he said after the positive test.

"Representing my country means the world to me and it is was a tremendous honor to make this team. I wish Team USA the best of luck next week in Tokyo. I will now focus on getting healthy, and I look forward to returning to competition once I am cleared to do so.”

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV