Golf 'Rivalry Battle'... "This Friend Is Annoying"

DeChambeau vs Kepka "New Intense Rivalry Emerging", Lydia Ko vs Redbetter "Tension After Breakup", Woods vs Williams "Awkward Relationship After Dismissal"

‘Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (left) and ‘Major Hunter’ Brooks Koepka have rapidly emerged as new ‘rivals’.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘An Uncomfortable Relationship’.

This is about ‘Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau and ‘Major Hunter’ Brooks Koepka (both from the USA). They are drawing attention as a new rivalry on the PGA Tour. At the Ryder Cup, the intercontinental golf competition between the USA and the European Union that ended on the 27th of last month, the two players also sparked off-court controversy. Concerns were raised, saying, "How can they face Europe as a team?" An awkward hug right after the Ryder Cup victory also drew the spotlight.

It is certainly a recent hot topic in the golf world. A one-on-one match between the ‘enemies’ has been arranged. It is the fifth series of ‘The Match’. On the 26th of next month, they will face off in a 12-hole match play at The Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Match started in November 2018 as a special event featuring a clash between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (both from the USA). DeChambeau has experience from the fourth series held in July, where he teamed up with NFL star Aaron Rodgers.

The two players have been at odds since 2019. The cause was DeChambeau’s ‘slow play’. Koepka criticized him bluntly. In May, during Koepka’s broadcast interview, DeChambeau passed by wearing spiked golf shoes that made noise. Koepka’s annoyed expression was captured on camera. The ‘battlefield’ is social media. Koepka posted a photo of a player who took banned substances around the time DeChambeau was gaining muscle.

In response, DeChambeau retorted, "I have abs, but Koepka doesn’t." The tension continued right after the first round of The Open in July. DeChambeau said, "The Cobra driver is terrible," implying that he hadn’t won many matches because of his equipment. Koepka posted a photo of himself smiling brightly after a driver tee shot. As the backlash intensified, DeChambeau posted an apology saying, "It was my skill, not the driver, that was the problem."

World No. 1 Lydia Ko and renowned coach David Leadbetter engaged in an off-field war of nerves after parting ways in 2016.

In the golf world, it is common to become enemies after parting ways. Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and coach David Leadbetter (England) are representative examples. Leadbetter worked with Lydia Ko from December 2013, achieving 12 wins including 2 majors, but was notified of their split in 2016 due to poor performance. He criticized, "She interferes excessively without really understanding golf," and pointed out, "Teaching three people including Lydia Ko and her parents is not an easy task."

Tiger Woods (right), who combined for 72 wins, and caddie Steve Williams developed an uncomfortable relationship after their split in 2011.

The ‘Golf Emperor’ Woods and the ‘Emperor Caddie’ Steve Williams (New Zealand) also crossed the point of no return. Williams was the ‘special assistant’ who collaborated on an astonishing 72 wins including 13 majors. After Woods was involved in a sex scandal in 2011, Williams was unilaterally fired and transformed into a ‘sharpshooter’. In his autobiography ‘Rough’, he revealed, "Woods threw clubs recklessly, and every time I picked them up, I felt severe humiliation," and described himself as "a slave carrying clubs."