By Daniel Rapaport
CROMWELL, Conn. — The ongoing feud between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau has dominated golf headlines in recent weeks, but the origins of the beef remained a mystery. Did Brooks start it when he publicly griped about slow players? Did Bryson light the match when he called out Brooks’ lack of abs during a Twitch stream? Is it all a publicity stunt to drive up interest for some money-making operation down the line?

On Wednesday, speaking ahead of the Travelers Championship, Koepka shed some light on when he feels the disdain began.

“I thought it was just interesting when he walked up to my caddie and told Ricky (Elliott) that if I had something to say, to say it to his face,” Koepka said. “I thought that was kind of odd, when you don’t walk up to my face, and say it to my caddie.”

He would seem to be referring to a conversation the two had during the 2019 Northern Trust at Liberty National. That came after Koepka had publicly called out slow players in an appearance on the Golf Monthly podcast. “I just don’t understand how it takes a minute and 20 seconds to hit a golf ball,” Koepka said. “It’s not that hard.” He didn’t call out DeChambeau by name, but it was widely seen as a reference to a European Tour video that showed DeChambeau taking an exorbitant amount of time to play a wedge shot. At Liberty, DeChambeau and Koepka spoke before their final rounds, and DeChambeau told reporters that he “just wanted to clear the air.”

On Wednesday at the Travelers, Koepka also suggested he and DeChambeau had come to some sort of agreement during that conversation two years ago.

“And when we had that conversation, we agreed on something and he went back on it,” Koepka said Wednesday. “So, if you’re gonna go back on your word, I don’t have much respect for that.”

The feud then faded into the background until a rogue viral video threw gas on the fire. It showed Koepka, at the PGA Championship, rolling his eyes as DeChambeau walks by in the background. The following week, at the Memorial Tournament, fans repeatedly referred to Bryson as “Brooksy,” and Koepka offered free Michelob Ultra to any fans who were kicked off the grounds as a result of their conduct.

The feud loomed large at last week’s U.S. Open, when Brad Faxon said that the USGA had approached DeChambeau’s camp about a potential pairing with Koepka, and that DeChambeau declined. DeChambeau, his agent, and the USGA all denied any such conversation.

In an appearance on ESPN’s Sportscenter on Tuesday, Koepka suggested DeChambeau started the kerfuffle and that other Tour pros have said they’re “glad” the eye-roll video went viral.

After briefly playing into the back-and-forth on social media, DeChambeau has tried to distance himself from the feud and played down its significance.

“I’ve got nothing against [Koepka],” DeChambeau said at the Memorial. “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.”

The post Brooks Koepka explains origin of Bryson beef, says DeChambeau ‘went back on his word’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
A pair of prominent Americans threatened to claim the Porsche European Open title in Germany, but in the end it was a journeyman from England who emotionally hugged his caddy on the 18th hole.

Richard McEvoy has had almost the opposite career from Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau, struggling for 17 years to find his way in professional golf. Five times the 39-year-old, a former GB&I Walker Cup player, went to European Tour Q school after winning medalist honors there in 2002 (and twice falling back to the Challenge Tour). But with a closing one-over 73 at Green Eagle Golf Course in Hamburg, McEvoy won for the first time in 285 European Tour starts.

It wasn’t pretty. McEvoy started the day in a tie for first with DeChambeau, then proceeded to make five bogeys, never looking as if he was in control of the tournament. But there was plenty of ugly to go around.

Reed, just one stroke back after rounds of 70-66-69, made five bogeys of his own on Sunday, including four through the first 13 holes, to close with a 76 and finish tied for ninth.

DeChambeau, meanwhile, bogeyed two of his first five holes but a birdie on the eighth seemed to settle the 24-year-old down. He had held the lead or a share of it after every round this week, an impressive feat after a video of a range session he had on Thursday at the Open Championship at Carnoustie showed him struggling mightily with his swing.

RELATED: Bryson DeChambeau is leading one week after epic driving-range meltdown

At 11 under par, the recent PGA Tour winner at the Memorial still had a one-stroke edge on McEvoy on the 15th hole. But trying to go for the green in two on the 583-yard par 5, DeChambeau’s second shot sailed right into the water guarding the green. He scrambled for a bogey, while McEvoy made a 15-footer for birdie, the two-stroke swing quickly changing the tournament’s complexion.

Ahead of the pair, Italy’s Renato Paratore made a birdie on the last hole to finish with a 70 and post 10 under as the clubhouse. Amateur Allen John from Germany and Christofer Blomstrand from Sweden got to 10 under with birdies on the last hole.

McEvoy fell back to 10 under after a bogey on the 17th, and DeChambeau was at nine under after he made bogey on the 16th (after a wild tee shot), as the pair teed off on the par-5 18th. When DeChambeau pulled his drive into the water, however, his chance at victory was sunk. He’d finish with a triple-bogey 8 (having hit his third shot in the water as well) for a closing 78 and fall all the way into a tie for 12th.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
DeChambeau’s wayward second shot on the 15th and drive on the 18th cost him the tournament title.

McEvoy found the fairway, and after a lengthy conversation with his caddie decided to lay-up with his second shot. A wedge over water to 20 foot, set up a birdie chance that would change his career. When the putt fell, McEvoy’s reaction was priceless.

An absolute life-changer! @RichardMcEvoy79 just poured in a walk-off birdie to win at the #PEOGolf! pic.twitter.com/WXGHxUpRGs

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 29, 2018

“Incredible,” McEvoy said. “I fought hard. I believed. Even at the last hole, I overpowered by caddie to lay up and give my best opportuntuty to make birdie.”

McEvoy says there were signs in recent weeks that the breakthrough win was on the horizon. He played in a pro-am at England’s Queenwood Golf Club and shot a 64, beating Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Adam Scott among others. And opposite the Open at Carnoustie last week, McEvoy won the Challenge Tour event in France, his third career win on the circuit. He is the first golfer to follow a Challenge Tour win with a European Tour victory since 2010.

The reaction on social media from players McEvoy grew up playing with hinted that it wasn’t just an emotional victory for the golfer himself, but others, too.

Brilliant @RichardMcEvoy79 Congratulations ?

— Justin Rose (@JustinRose99) July 29, 2018

I can honestly say that seeing @RichardMcEvoy79 get that first @EuropeanTour win after all of those years of hard work and patience is my favourite golfing moment of 2018 so far.. what a putt to hole to achieve it too.. well done Macca, we could not be happier for you mate

— Nick Dougherty (@NickDougherty5) July 29, 2018

The post Journeyman Richard McEvoy gets elusive first win as Bryson DeChambeau stumbles over final four holes appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.