DeChambeau-Koepka spat overshadows US Open

San Diego, June 16

Torrey Pines has had its share of conflict over the years involving some of the top players in golf. Just not during such a taxing Major as the US Open.

Think back to 2003 at the Buick Invitational when Phil Mickelson was quoted in a magazine interview as saying Woods played inferior equipment and was the only player good enough to overcome “the equipment he’s stuck with.” They wound up in the final group with Brad Faxon, whose nickname that week was “Switzerland,” and Woods got the final word with another victory at Torrey Pines.

Then there was Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. They had a falling out from the 2018 Ryder Cup in France when Reed blamed Spieth for them not playing together in a US loss. They played together in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open, and Spieth broke any tension by giving Reed a playful hug on the first tee.

Can anyone see Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka hugging it out this week? “At this point, probably not,” Spieth said with a grin. But this social media spat is different from the other two that played out at Torrey Pines, getting so much attention that it has become the primary point of interest.

The big development Tuesday morning? Tee times were announced. No, they’re not playing together. They are on opposite sides of the draw and starting at opposite ends of the course. — AP

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