Match 5 between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka was billed as a 12-hole prize fight that reflects the boxing culture on which much of Las Vegas has been built over the years. DeChambeau was knocked out early, however, as the event didn’t even see the back of the course. Koepka won 4 and 3 after making four birdies at the top and leading after eight of the nine holes played.
The golf on both sides wasn’t what would be called great, but Koepka cleared up his mistakes, hitting a few strokes and a few putts that he needed while DeChambeau kept burning edges and not giving himself simple shorts at all.
At one point DeChambeau even asked Koepka why he wasn’t playing so well on the PGA Tour week after week, and Koepka replied, “I won’t play again until April,” then added, “Don’t lie, I just wanted to beat you up.”
Overall, the trash talk wasn’t convincing, although we didn’t really expect it. Koepka told DeChambeau that his par putt on the second hole was good shortly after Koepka birdieed to win the hole, which was fun. Then, after his third birdie of the first six holes, Koepka handed his putter to his brother Chase and asked the audience, “Any questions?”
Rick Gehman is joined by Kyle Porter to break down and respond to The Match V: Bryson vs Brooks. Follow and listen to The First Cut for more Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
There was also a rather humorous moment when DeChambeau pulled the driver onto one of the holes and pretended to hit through the fairway smoking someone in the distance because it was going to be too long and too straight. Koepka reacted to this in much the same way as he did when DeChambeau walked past him at the PGA Championship in Kiawah in the now infamous leaked video that was part of the genesis of this entire feud.
As it turned out, the actual show took place in the booth. Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley were part of the broadcast team and were able to talk to players throughout the day. Mickelson took over early and never gave in. Barkley was a hilarious buddy to him when he asked him questions about gunshots at height and drove him down when Lefty became involved with DeChambeau for parasympathetic brainwaves.
Koepka asked Barkley if he had caught any of it, and Barkley replied, “Damn no.”
Ultimately, this wasn’t the fight it was touted for in the last month or so. If there is a score to settle at all, it will only happen at a major tournament when these two march towards the same trophy. The player banter on Friday was marginally posh, but the show stuck in a bit for me. With matches as short as this and with Mickelson and Barkley in the dressing room, you could get anyone playing on the golf course playing against each other and it would be great TV.
So while we have to wait months or years for the entire DeChambeau-Koepka feud to be fully resolved, Koepka’s win on Friday was another reminder of how much fun golf can be when talked about (and played) at this level is made by people who are just as deep in it as the rest of us.
