Brooks Koepka Admits He Was Wrong About Former Rival: ‘He’s Misunderstood’

Brooks Koepka admitted during a presser for next week’s The Showdown that he was wrong about his former rival Bryson DeChambeau when the two had a very public spat several years ago before they both defected to LIV Golf from the PGA TOUR.

Koepka and DeChambeau had a rivalry several years back that caught the attention of golf fans everywhere. Koepka had a viral moment where he rolled his eyes mid-interview as Bryson walked by, sparking a feud between the two players in 2021.

Things have definitely changed. The two have softened their disdain for one another, if there even was any hostility from DeChambeau toward Koepka. They have been seen together numerous times in a golf setting and have been more than friendly.

Koepka said this week that DeChambeau is “severely misunderstood” and that he was wrong about the man who he once had very different feelings for:

“Going to LIV, honestly, I think that was a big moment, even just for us, right? We were forced—well, I don’t want to say forced, but we were communicating a lot more, our conversation became a lot more open. From there, I’m the first person to admit I can be a bit stubborn. Look, we all get older, we all mature a little bit, and then you realize, hey, Bryson’s a good dude. I think he’s severely misunderstood and I think the world is actually starting to really see who Bryson DeChambeau is, which is cool. I’m the first person to admit it, I was wrong with what my original thoughts were.”

DeChambeau even chimed in:

“We had our spats. But we realized when we both went to LIV we had quite a few things in common. Kind of like stepbrothers in a sense. And we’ve developed a pretty solid relationship and have good respect for each other now.”

The two will take on Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy next week in an 18-hole version of The Showdown, the first that pegs LIV Golfers against PGA TOUR players.

Cover Image via The Independent