Koepka’s taunt is no small beer for rivals

BROOKS KOEPKA has escalated his feud with Bryson DeChambeau after telling fans heckling the Mad Scientist: ‘The next beer is on me.’

What was viewed as harmless banter will surely be seen in a different light by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, after DeChambeau was subjected to vociferous barracking at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

For 33 holes on Friday, the Californian’s marathon day was played out to a constant accompaniment of ‘Let’s go Brooksie’ and similar taunts. It was bad enough for some fans to be ejected from the premises by police.

Koepka, who i s not even playing i n the tournament, could not resist a mischievous barb on Twitter. Thanking the fans for their support, he added the provocative rider that 50 crates of beer would be despatched to spectators ‘whose day was cut short’.

DeChambeau, who denied reports that he had asked for fans to be thrown out, is determined publicly to cling to what counts as the high ground in this pantomime affair. ‘ The fans can keep calling me that all day if they want, it’s flattering, I have no issue with it,’ he said.

With the defence of his US Open title in his home state now just 10 days away, however, it would be surprising if moves were not being made behind the scenes to lower the temperature.

The animosity between the pair broke into the open at the US PGA Championship last month, in a leaked video of Koepka explaining about his putting difficulties, while DeChambeau walked behind him. ‘Try hitting them on the right line,’ chuntered the latter.

Koepka was unamused. Fumbling for words, he closed his eyes theatrically and said: ’I’ve lost my train of thought… listening to that b******t.’

The feud is the talk of the locker room. Rory McIlroy, who is also playing in Ohio, said: ‘I sent Brooks a message when it all came out, telling him I don’t care what happens to me at the Memorial, this has made my week.’

Jordan Spieth, who played the first two rounds with DeChambeau, added: ‘Any bad hole from Bryson, fans were yelling in support of Brooks, then supporting him if he had a good hole. It was like a pseudo rivalry and Koepka’s not even here. I could see how it could be a distraction.’

The golf? Defending champion Jon Rahm was showing his liking for Muirfield Village by taking a two-stroke halfway lead over American Patrick Cantlay, with DeChambeau nine shots adrift and McIlroy a further stroke back.

At the US Women’s Open in San Francisco, a poor finish to her second round left England’s Mel Reid four strokes adrift of Yuka Saso. Fellow English trio Charley Hull, Georgia Hall and Jodi Ewart Shadoff all missed the halfway cut.