The rivalry between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka has long been one of golf’s most talked-about subplots.
But after years of cooling off, including a joint photo in 2023 and a light-hearted pairing at the Crypto.com Showdown last season, the tension quietly reignited Friday at the LIV Golf Team Championship. And this time, it didn’t take a single swing.
On Friday, after both Crushers GC and Smash GC advanced to the semifinals, fans anticipated a thrilling singles showdown between the two captains.
Koepka, who named himself Smash’s No. 1 singles player, seemed ready. But DeChambeau stunned everyone by opting out of the matchup, choosing instead to face Smash’s top performer this season, Talor Gooch.
“Yeah, I don’t know what he’s — I don’t know what the thinking was behind that,” Koepka told reporters on Friday at The Cardinal. “I’d probably say the people would want to see that. I don’t know what he (Bryson DeChambeau) was afraid of.”
The decision raised eyebrows across the golf world.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 26: Bryson DeChambeau (L) and Brooks Koepka pose for photos during Capital One’s The Match V: Bryson v Brooks at Wynn Golf Course on November 26, 2021 in Las Vegas,…
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 26: Bryson DeChambeau (L) and Brooks Koepka pose for photos during Capital One’s The Match V: Bryson v Brooks at Wynn Golf Course on November 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
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Koepka, a five-time major winner, will now face Anirban Lahiri in singles, while DeChambeau takes on Gooch.
“(DeChambeau) beats to his own drum,” Koepka added during the same conversation. “He’s a strange cat.”
Statistically, the swap made sense. Gooch ranks sixth in the season-long LIV standings and has been Smash’s most consistent player. Koepka, meanwhile, sits 31st. DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open earlier this year, is ranked third.
Still, the optics were hard to ignore. The two captains had a chance to reignite their rivalry on the course, but DeChambeau passed.
“I’ve got my reasons,” DeChambeau stated when asked about the decision during the Friday conference. “It ain’t personal, I can tell you that. It’s not personal. It’s not.”
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