Koepka, DeChambeau to face off in Vegas
LAS VEGAS: Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will take their rivalry onto the course when they go head-to-head in the latest instalment of golf’s “The Match” next month.
The American duo — who have been sparring throughout the season — will face off in a 12-hole event at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas on Nov 26 to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday, organisers said in a statement.
“Finally what the world has been waiting to see,” DeChambeau wrote on Twitter.
The event is the latest incarnation of the match play golf event which was first held in 2018 when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson went head-to-head for a US$9 million prize.
DeChambeau and Koepka’s rivalry has rumbled on since 2019, when Koepka made complaints about
DeChambeau’s slow play.
But it was ramped up in May this year, when Koepka couldn’t hide his annoyance after DeChambeau photobombed him during an interview following the PGA Championship.
DeChambeau meanwhile was subsequently subjected to taunts of “Brooksie” by golf fans at tournaments, prompting PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan to issue a warning about fan behaviour at future events.
The two major-winners put their differences aside for the USA’s victorious Ryder Cup campaign, however, with captain Steve Stricker later revealing the duo had even asked to be paired together.
“... does this mean we’re having ‘Friendsgiving’?” Koepka tweeted late on Tuesday after the announcement of the DeChambeau showdown.