Golf has often been referred to as a “gentleman's game,” but Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau's recent spat has infused some drama into the sport.
Both players agree their developing feud is good for golf.
DeChambeau said Tuesday he thinks a “jesting” rivalry can help grow the sport. Koepka concurred on Wednesday, saying it can be fun for the younger generation of golfers:
“It's growing the game,” Koepka said, via Bob Harig of ESPN. “The younger generation — I get the traditionalists who don't agree with it. I understand that, but I think to grow the game you've got to reach out to the younger generation, and I don't want to say that's what this is, but it's reaching out to a whole bunch of people. It's getting golf in front of people. I think it's good for the game.”
How did Brooks Koepka-Bryson DeChambeau even start? Well, there has been some tension before this year, but things have picked up in earnest since the PGA Championship.
Koepka became a meme sensation after DeChambeau walked right behind him in the middle of a post-round interview. When it was later announced DeChambeau would be playing with Aaron Rodgers in the latest rendition of Capital One's The Match, Koepka tweeted at Rodgers, prompting another back-and-forth between the two.
More recently, DeChambeau had fans dismissed from the Memorial Tournament after some spectators called him “Brooksy.” Koepka responded by tweeting he and Michelob would send those fans free beer.
The theater has been truly wonderful for a sport that has lacked this kind of drama for years. Can you imagine a Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau pairing in the Ryder Cup? Well, no, because captain Steve Stricker would never let it happen.
In any case, “Brooksy” and the “Big Golfer” both agree they are helping to grow the game.
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