Making a concerted effort to join team bonding events has seemingly helped get him back on side, with US captain Keegan Bradley also pointing to DeChambeau’s “X-Factor ability” and “fiery” energy as further redeeming qualities.
“This is a tough thing for him, to come into guys that he doesn’t see every day,” said Bradley.
“But he’s done an exceptional job of making the extra effort – flying to Napa, flying to Atlanta – doing things that are really difficult with the schedule he has.
“He’s made every effort possible and been incredible in the team room.”
When the Americans were humbled by the Europeans two years ago, DeChambeau was even further on the periphery than he was at Whistling Straits.
The controversial switch to LIV Golf meant he was not eligible to earn qualification points for the Rome clash.
Then-US captain Zach Johnson did not deem him worthy of a wildcard – nor even a phone call relaying the news.
Harbouring an inescapable feeling of being ruthlessly snubbed, DeChambeau set about getting back on the team for Bethpage.
“It sucked. I wanted to be there,” DeChambeau said on Thursday.
“Seeing the guys lose really put a fire in my stomach. I wanted to make the team this time around.”
The same complications remained, though.
As a LIV golfer, DeChambeau could only earn points during the eight major championships over the two-year qualification process.
Demonstrating his insatiable appetite for the big stage, he earned six top-10 finishes – including victory at the 2024 US Open – to claim one of the half a dozen automatic spots.
However criticism about his suitability for the team environment has continued in the run-up to Bethpage.
Brandel Chamblee, a former American player and prominent commentator, still believes DeChambeau is an individualist and described him as a “captain’s nightmare”
“No doubt he is one hell of a golfer,” Chamblee said on the Golf Channel. “But he’s an odd duck when he’s trying to blend in with the team.”