Four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka says it was Bryson DeChambeau going back on his word after a 2019 conversation that led to a spat between the US golf stars.
Koepka, who shared fourth at last week’s US Open at Torrey Pines, told ESPN on Tuesday he felt DeChambeau started the feud.
On the eve of the US PGA Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, eighth-ranked Koepka went into detail about the origins of their rivalry.
In 2019, Koepka complained of slow play at the Dubai Desert Classic where DeChambeau also had played.
That, Koepka said, led to DeChambeau seeking out Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliott, at an event later in the year.
“I thought it was just interesting when he walked up to my caddie and told Ricky that if I had something to say, to say it to his face,” Koepka said.
“I thought that was kind of odd. Don’t walk up to my face, say it to my caddie.”
Koepka and DeChambeau spoke before a final-round pairings and appeared to settle matters, although the two exchanged social-media remarks last year, bulked-up DeChambeau joking about Koepka’s physique and Koepka noting his four Major trophies before DeChambeau had won his first at last year’s US Open.
“When we had that conversation we agreed on something and he went back on it,” Koepka said.
“So, you know, if you’re going to go back on your word I don’t have much respect for that.”
A video clip of Koepka being annoyed at a loud-talking DeChambeau at last month’s PGA Championship went public and sparked more social-media remarks from the two.
The two were not paired together at the US Open, where DeChambeau led in the final round before stumbling to a closing 77 and sharing 26th.
DeChambeau, ranked sixth, claimed a berth on the US Tokyo Olympic squad, joining third-ranked Justin Thomas, fourth-ranked Collin Morikawa and fifth-ranked Xander Schauffele.
© Agence France-Presse
