Who will take the points in 2022 – Brooks or Bryson?

HAYES: Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoy watching DeChambeau push the boundaries of golfing physics.

I can’t say I’ll ever warm to his pace of play, nor his antics when things aren’t going his way.

His expansive thinking and willingness to give in (the majority of ) interviews, though, are just sufficient for me to appreciate the “Mad Scientist”.

But the answer to this question lies in the next magnetic resonance image of Koepka’s ailing frame.

If Koepka is fit, he’ll beat Bryson eight times out of 10 when it matters – he’s just a better player.

I don’t buy the faux sweetness of their Ryder Cup interactions when Steve Stricker had the pair on their best behaviour.

While I refused to watch their “Match” on principle, it read subsequently to me that Koepka was very content to have given his compatriot a match play bath.

DeChambeau, by the very nature of his Russian roulette-style, is bound to have his moments in the sun.

But Koepka, while occasionally lacking comportment in interviews, certainly doesn’t lack for golfing ability when he’s motivated. EMANUEL: Bryson probably got the points in 2021, despite losing what was a fairly uninteresting match to his sparring partner that was about five months too late.

However, Brooks will more than just get the points this year over DeChambeau, he will also return to his best form and likely add another major to his haul of four so far.

Koepka signed a deal with Srixon late in 2021 and seemed immediately comfortable with the equipment he had apparently being testing and considering for a significant period prior. And that comfort and the settled nature of having less to choose from will help the American.

Beyond that, the beef/feud/sparring with Bryson has effectively been put to bed despite the pair clearly continuing to dislike each other, and that distraction taken care of will be nothing but a positive for Brooks who when on is one of my favourite players in the game to watch.

The major venues this year setup well for Koepka, he is set to get married which often sees an uptick in a player’s performance, and turning 32 this year he is in his prime as a professional golfer. Plus, his troublesome knee appears on its way to healing.

And if there is any remaining doubt, Koepka’s reply when asked at the Hero World Challenge if he could return to what a reporter called his “peak” of 2018-19 is enough for me. “That wasn’t peak. Just wait,” Koepka said. For his part, I expect Bryson will increase his focus on competing in long drive events, while the removal of green reading books will affect him more than most, and without the drive to prove himself a superior player to Koepka will have something of a down year.