OPEN SEASON ON BRYSON
Koepka tees off at DeChambeau with new claim
BROOKS KOEPKA says Bryson DeChambeau is “fair game” after breaking their truce as the two Americans brought their running feud across the Atlantic to The Open.
But DeChambeau insisted he is a “great person” and hinted the bad blood was hitting his golf.
The bickering started in January 2019 but Koepka claimed yesterday DeChambeau went back on a deal not to speak about each other in public.
Koepka said: “We had a conversation and he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain and I didn’t like that, so I’ll take my shots. So now it’s fair game.”
DeChambeau relit the rivalry in January 2020 when he mocked Koepka posing nude in the ESPN Body Issue.
“He can say whatever he wants,” said DeChambeau. “I don’t know what he’s talking about in that regard.”
But as the tension has increased this summer, DeChambeau, the world No.6, has failed to finish in the top 25 in the first three Majors of the year.
“Everybody is human,” said last year’s US Open winner. “We all make mistakes and things happen.We have emotion.
“I’m somebody that doesn’t necessarily like controversy. I guess that’s something I don’t necessarily deal the best with sometimes.
“Does the criticism hurt? It makes it emotionally a little more difficult to, I would say, resolve that because in my heart of hearts, I really think I’m a great person.” Koepka has claimed the feud is “good for the game” because the controversy will appeal to a “younger generation”. And he would like to see them playing together in the final group on Sunday. “I would enjoy it,” he said. “There would be a lot of people tuning in.” But the world No.8 seems to like Royal St George’s as much as he likes DeChambeau. “It’s not my favourite of the rotation, put it that way,” said Koepka. The rivals will, though, be USA team-mates at the Ryder Cup in September. Koepka said: “It’s only a week. I can put it aside for business. I can deal with anybody in the world for a week. I’m sure we’re not going to be paired together.”
But DeChambeau is up for the pairing. “It would be kind of funny, actually,” he said. “We’d do well, to be honest.”