PGA TourBrian KeoghThe Memorial, Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka

Koepka - DeChambeau feud spills over at Memorial

PGA TourBrian KeoghThe Memorial, Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka
Koepka - DeChambeau feud spills over at Memorial
The Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka rivalry is getting out of hand

The Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka rivalry is getting out of hand

Rory McIlroy describes the feud as “the best thing ever” but Bryson DeChambeau was struggling to see the funny side as Brooks Koepka fans heckled him during the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

At least ten spectators were ejected for yelling “let’s go Brooksy” at DeChambeau over the course of his 33 holes yesterday.

But while it was suggested that DeChambeau pointed out his hecklers to police, he denied that after the round.

“Oh, they weren't taunts at all, it was flattering,” DeChambeau said after carding rounds of 71 and 72 to share 34th on one-under, seven shots behind clubhouse leader Patrick Cantlay (69-67) and defending champion Jon Rahm, who still has five holes of his second round to complete this morning.

“I think it's absolutely flattering what they're doing. They can keep calling me that all day if they want to, I've got no issue with it.”

Asked if he’d pointed out the hecklers, DeChambeau said: “The officers take care of that. I don't really care.”
Koepka added more fuel to the fire by taking to Twitter later to thank his fans for shouting their support at the Memorial, adding that those who had their day “cut short” or “had any trouble” could win one of 50 cases of beer.

The feud started in 2019 when several players including Koepka, criticised DeChambeau for his slow play.
That led to DeChambeau telling Koepka's caddie, Portrush man Ricky Elliott, to inform Koepka that if he had something to say he should say it to his face.

Koekpa obliged and the pair have traded barbs ever since with the row escalating since a bulked up DeChambeau emerged from the COVID 19 shutdown and romped to victory in the US Open.

The row came to a head 10 days ago when Koepka was seen rolling his eyes as DeChambeau approached in his peripheral vision as he was speaking to Golf Channel during the PGA Championship.

“Look, I've got nothing against him,” DeChambeau said. “I've got no issues at all. If he wants to play that game, that's great. I'm going to keep trying to play my best game and when it comes down to it, when somebody's that bothered by someone else it is flattering.

“He's had stuff with other people too. Like Rory and numerous others. So this isn't a one-off thing. So, you know, it's just the way he deals with stuff and I'm totally fine with it.”

DeChambeau said it did bother him when a fan shouted in his backswing.

“It wasn't the fact that he said Brooksy or whatever, it was just, he said something at an inappropriate time. If he said peanut butter and jelly at the wrong time I would have probably said the same thing. They can say whatever they want, I've got no issue.”

DeChambeau admitted the USGA had already been in touch with him about the issue as he prepares to defend the US Open at Torrey Pines in 12 days.

“They have talked a little bit about it, but I don't know what they'll do,” he said.
Koepka has also sparked with McIlroy, circulating a text to friends saying “I’m going to crush him” ahead of his 65-71 win over McIlroy in their duel for the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis in 2019.

Koepka would go on to say, “I’ve been out here for, what, five years. Rory hasn’t won a Major since I’ve been on the PGA Tour. So I just don’t view it as a rivalry.”

McIlroy, who shot a brace of erratic 72s to share 43rd on level par, was asked about the DeChambeau-Koepka feud straight after his second round.

“I sent Brooks a message last Monday morning when it all came out I said, I don't care what happens to me for the rest of this week, this has made my week, this is like the best thing ever,” he said.

“Like it's fine, I think it's good for guys to show personality and pretty sure whoever leaked it from the Golf Channel got in trouble, I don't know if anyone's got to the bottom of that, but, hey, look, it is what it is.

“There’s certainly people out here that don't like me, I'm sure and there's a few people out here that I don't like… That’s life.”

McIlroy revealed his withdrawal from the pro-am and pre-tournament press conference was due to “a little bit of a family emergency” that’s “fine now”.

But he’s not panicking about his game having played four of the game’s toughest courses — Augusta National, Quail Hollow, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island and Muirfield Village — in his last four starts, winning once.

“It would be nice to shoot a few more rounds in the 60s,” McIlroy said. “But when you're playing courses that are this tough, it sort of makes it maybe look maybe not quite as good as what it is.”

He added: “My game is not where I want to be, but I am not that far away. I am not that far away.”

Shane Lowry made two double bogeys on his front nine — he thinned a bunker shot into water at the par-three 12th but chipped in for a five — but was back to just one over for the day, tied for 21st on two-under with five holes of his second round to complete.

Pádraig Harrington was three-over for the day and 105th on nine-over with seven holes to go.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Meadow followed her opening 76 with a 74 to miss the cut by two shots on eight-over in the US Women’s Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Yuka Saso of the Phillippines shot 67 to lead by one stroke on six-under from 2019 champion Jeongeun Lee6.

Two others – American professional Megan Khang (70) and 17-year-old New Jersey amateur Megha Ganne (71) – are two strokes behind on four-under with England’s Mel Reid four behind after a 73.