The hottest “rivalry” in sports is between two young golfers who have been trading jabs online. But now, one may want the PGA to step in.
On Friday at this week’s Memorial Tournament, 10 fans were removed from the course after shouting “Brooksy” at DeChambeau. That was kinda funny. A few even heckled the golfer with his nemesis’ name during his backswing. Not cool.
DeChambeau agrees. He said he enjoyed the fans and didn’t mind the heckling, but “if it comes out to a point where they’re affecting your swing ... that’s a little over the line, but everything else, I don’t care.”
Just hours after the hecklers were booted, Koepka — who is not playing this week’s tournament — posted a video to Twitter in which he offered free beer to fans whose time was “cut short” at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Yeah, you know what he means.
“If your time was, I dunno, say — cut short — at the golf tournament today, DM Michelob Ultra and we’re going to be giving out 50 cases of beer to the first 50 people,” Koepka said in the video.
In a few weeks, perhaps DeChambeau will respond with a comeback brought to you by Coors Light.
But that’s not happening, at least not yet. Yesterday, reporters asked DeChambeau if he was surprised by the video and the escalating feud. “Yeah, I think that’s something the Tour needs to handle, it’s something I can’t control,” he responded.
“I tried to take the high road numerous times,” DeChambeau continued. “And I think, from my perspective, I’ll continue to keep doing so and people are going to do what they want to do. So it is what it is.”
The pair’s bickering has been ongoing for years. But if interrupting Koepka during a television interview and making fun of his physical appearance on Twitch are DeChambeau’s versions of the “high road,” I really don’t want to see what happens when he goes low.
Of course, the two have egged each other on throughout this whole ordeal. And with the Michelob sponsorship, this thing could turn into one big piece of branded content any day now.
But before the PGA chooses to intervene, maybe the USGA should pair Koepka and DeChambeau in Round 1 of next week’s US Open. If that happens, one competitor will own bragging rights and squash the mutual agitation… at least for the moment.