WATCH: Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau walk down the Ryder Cup tunnel with an American flag draped

The 45th Ryder Cup began early Friday (September 26) with a striking entrance from Team USA’s first pairing. Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas teed off at 7:10 a.m. ET against Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, walking through the Bethpage Black tunnel, draped in an American flag as fans cheered. Their entry was shown on the giant video board.

The United States has won the last two Ryder Cups played on home soil, but Europe still leads the rivalry with 10 wins in the past 14 events. Keegan Bradley captains the U.S. team this year, while Luke Donald leads Europe.

Watch the clip here:

DeChambeau’s popularity was already clear during practice, when fans sang Queen’s 1977 hit We Will Rock You as he warmed up. Bradley admitted pairing DeChambeau with Thomas was a deliberate choice.

"Besides the fact that they're both phenomenal players, they bring a spark to our team. Bryson has been an incredible teammate in the locker room, and we really want him to lead our team out with Justin on the first match,” Bradley said (via Japan Times).

This is DeChambeau’s third Ryder Cup appearance. He first played in 2018 at Le Golf National, losing all three matches. He came back strong in 2021 at Whistling Straits with a 2-0-1 record, helping the U.S. win big. After missing the 2023 event in Rome, he earned his way back under captain Keegan Bradley.

Thomas is making his fourth Ryder Cup start. He was part of the winning team at Whistling Straits in 2021, where he posted a 2-1-1 record. Overall, he has played 13 Ryder Cup matches with seven wins, four losses and two ties.

Ryder Cup 2025 score update: Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas take early lead

Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas got off to a strong start at Bethpage Black, taking an early 1-up lead against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. DeChambeau sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the opening hole after Rahm’s tee shot landed in the rough, giving the Americans an early advantage.

Team Europe, however, started strong overall. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood are 4-up through nine holes against Collin Morikawa and Harris English, while Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick lead Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley 4-up through 10. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay hold the only other U.S. lead, 1-up through eight holes against Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre.

The event continues Friday with more foursomes ahead of Sunday’s singles matches. Here are the complete tee times for the Friday round: