PARAMUS, N.J. – When Bryson DeChambeau slipped out of the top 8 automatic qualifiers for the U.S. Ryder Cup team last month he now admits the pressure started to build.
On Sunday, he likely put an end to that mounting pressure with his four-stroke victory over Tony Finau at The Northern Trust, his third victory on the PGA Tour and what will surely be a crucial factor when U.S. captain Jim Furyk sits down to make the first of his three captain’s picks on Sept. 4.
Updated FedExCup standings after The Northern Trust
Full-field scores from The Northern Trust
“I said I was a man on a mission yesterday, and hopefully he can see that I’ve got some grit and grind, and that even when I don’t execute certain shots, I can get it done,” said DeChambeau, who closed with a 69 at Ridgewood Country Club.
DeChambeau has quietly made playing this year’s Ryder Cup a primary goal of his season after attending the 2014 matches at Hazeltine as a spectator.
“I definitely wanted to have an experience of what it would be like. And I was fortunate enough that Notah Begay was able to take me under the ropes a couple times and give me a little bit better experience,” DeChambeau said. “That was really fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I hope I get the opportunity to do that here in the next few weeks.”
