The Match: Bryson DeChambeau vs Brooks Koepka Date, Time, and Predictions

When: Friday, November 26th @ 4PM EST

Where to watch: TNT

The biggest rivalry in modern golf all boils down to one match played this Friday between top-ranked competitors Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. The two have been atop the golfing world for years now, and their ongoing feud has always been a topic of conversation. With golf being the proper, slightly boring (sorry PGA) sport that it is, a good old-fashioned grudge match is just what they need to draw in new fans. Here's everything we know about the feud, and how I see the match playing out:

The Rivalry

The earliest indications of the two having disdain towards each other dates back to January 2019, where Brooks Koepka publicly complained about golfers who play slow. His comments were in response to a question revolving around a viral tweet at the time which showed DeChambeau taking over a minute to pick his club and take his shot. Dechambeau responded to this by saying "it's just a part of the process," and that it is well within the rules to take the allotted time. The two eventually had a discussion about it in the following month where it appeared the proverbial hatchet had been buried--Brooks made it clear that he did not intend on singling DeChambeau out, and Bryson said he respected Brooks for actually confronting him and having a conversation about it.

No harm no foul, right?

Wrong.

The two went on to chirp back and forth at each other for at least the next year--DeChambeau making fun of Koepka's lack of abs in his photoshoot for ESPN's Body Issue, and Koepka retorting with a picture of his four major championship trophies accompanied by a caption "You were right, I am 2 short of a 6 pack!" What appeared to be innocent banter between the two went on until around May of 2021, which is when things seemed to take a change of pace. 

In leaked footage from The Golf Channel, Brooks Koepka is seen being interviewed by Todd Lewis after the second round of the PGA championship. All was well until DeChambeau and his caddie happened to walk behind Koepka mid-interview, causing Brooks to shake his head and roll his eyes. The interaction was so brief yet uncomfortable that Lewis even suggested a re-take. 'Til this day no one really knows what had Brooks so upset during that interaction, but many have speculated that it was the clanking of DeChambeau's metal spikes on the cart path in the background that set Brooks off. 

Right around the time of this video's release, the PGA just so happened to announce that Bryson DeChambeau would be paired with Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and taking on Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in their newest iteration of The Match. Koepka quickly went to Twitter, simply tweeting: "Sorry bro @AaronRodges12" and DeChambeu followed suit by saying "It's nice to be living rent free in your head!" Koepka then came back with a monster blow, simply tweeting a video of Bryson DeChambeau being clearly bothered by a fan saying "Go Brooksy" after DeChambeau tees off. This opened a can of worms for Koepka fans and PGA fans alike, enough to the point where three fans were removed from Bryson's next PGA Tour outing at the memorial for taunting DeChambeau with just Koepka's name. Never missing an opportunity to take a shot, Brooks then went on to offer the three fans, as well as any more in the future, free Michelob Ultra beer.

The two went on to bicker like this for months to come--Koepka poking fun at DeChambeau splitting up with his caddie, and DeChambeau continuing to confront fans and get them removed from PGA events after chanting "Brooksy" at him. However, all seemed to cool down once Kopeka and DeChambeau were announced to both be on the 2021 USA Ryder Cup team. The two both played phenomenally, and even shared a hug and a handshake at the champagne-laden trophy ceremony. It later came out that the two had dined together twice, and again the hatchet was buried. 

The match between the two was then announced in October of 2021, with DeChambeau teasing its release by saying "something fun" was is in the works. So while the rivalry seems to be chilled for now, I'm sure this Friday's match will take a stab at rekindling the feud. 

Predictions

While the feud definitely seems to be nearing its end, there's no taking back the years of disdain that these two have shared. Seeing as Koepka was often the instigator (and winner) of most of their interactions online, DeChambeau may be motivated to prove a point--and the odds reflect that.

DeChambeau currently stands at a -125 favorite to beat Koepka, while Brooks stands as an even-money underdog on various sports betting apps. Seeing as this match ultimately means nothing, it will be interesting to see how seriously Koepka takes it especially since he is typically more laid back in nature. Because of this, I can really see DeChambeau coming out victorious. Let's be honest--Bryson is a bit of a nerd, and because of that I can see him taking this match as seriously as he takes the Masters. Although publically the feud is calm, I'm sure DeChambeau wants to step all over Koepka in his brand new metal-spiked golf shoes. 

I'm taking DeChambeau, but regardless of the outcome, Friday Afternoon's golf match will surely be fun to watch.