Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka booed on first tee at PGA Championship

Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have been booed on the primary tee of their third spherical on the US PGA Championship. Both Koepka and DeChambeau were paired together for the third spherical of the main championship on the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York.

The duo each swapped the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf sequence final 12 months, which has been met with widespread criticism on this planet of the game. The Official World Golf Rankings nonetheless don’t use outcomes from LIV which has led to gamers dramatically falling down the rankings.

Saturday noticed Koepka and DeChambeau hyperlink up for a uncommon pairing for the third spherical of the US PGA. The duo have been on account of tee off within the third to final group as every challenged to win the second main championship of the 12 months.

Koepka went into the spherical at two-under par, whereas DeChambeau was one shot higher off at three-under par. However, when the pair have been about to start their spherical, they have been met with boos from spectators.

After the beginning introduced every participant, the followers across the tee booed as they started to tee off. While each gamers have been booed, it was noticeable that the one after DeChambeau’s title was introduced was marginally louder.

It led to CBS commentator Jim Nantz even making a remark after the booing. “Not a warm welcome,” mentioned Nantz. “I’ve never heard that, for that matter, at any point back to last summer.”

Koepka and DeChambeau being paired collectively could not have appeared like headline news, however had that occurred a few years in the past then it actually would have. The pair have been concerned in a feud which had began after Koepka had criticized DeChambeau for gradual play after the Dubai Desert Classic in January 2019.

The pair appeared to clear the air on the Northern Trust Open later that 12 months. However, every participant continued to make feedback about one another over the course of 2020.

Most not too long ago, Koepka was requested about DeChambeau throughout an Instagram Q&A again in February. It was right here the place he mentioned the disagreement between the duo had been “squashed”.

“Believe it or not, we squashed it,” Koepka mentioned. “We’re good. I actually talk to him quite frequently because of what’s going on here at LIV. Pretty much on an every-other-day basis. We’ve got a good open line of communication, we’ve figured it all out and we’re good.”

Both gamers went on to affix the LIV Golf sequence final 12 months, together with various different high-profile golfers from the PGA And European Tours. Fellow main winners Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed are simply among the gamers to make the swap over the past 12 months.