KOHLER, WISCONSIN (REUTERS) – Bryson DeChambeau said on Tuesday (Sept 21) that he and US Ryder Cup team mate Brooks Koepka have made progress in improving their frosty relationship.

DeChambeau, speaking to reporters at Whistling Straits where the biennial team competition against holders Europe begins on Friday, suggested the feud has been driven by a lot of external factors and that the two have all but settled their differences.

“We had a great – we had some great conversations Tour Championship week when we had dinner, and then this week, as well. I sat down and had dinner with him last night, and it was fine,” said world number seven DeChambeau.

“I think there may be something fun coming up here moving forward, but I won’t speak too much more on that.”

The well-documented feud has been one of the biggest golf storylines of the year, and while US captain Steve Stricker has said it is a non-issue he has admitted he does not expect to pair them together.

It picked up steam after a leaked interview Koepka recorded with the Golf Channel following the PGA Championship in May. As DeChambeau walked behind the camera, Koepka rolled his eyes and made obvious his dislike of the player.

Although the video did not air on the Golf Channel, it soon popped up on social media.

DeChambeau has become one of the more polarising figures in the game of golf for a variety of reasons including his relationship with Koepka, criticism for slow play and a complaint he made this year about the quality of his driver.

Still, the long-hitting American said this week is about helping the United States reclaim the Ryder Cup and not about changing perceptions of himself as a player and person.

“All I’m trying to do is showcase what I can do for the game of golf,” said DeChambeau, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018 and lost all three of his matches at Le Golf National in Paris.

“Whether people like it or not, that’s their interpretation of it.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about changing anybody’s perception. It’s about getting the crowd behind us and allowing us to, I guess you could say, rile us up to win the Cup.”

Last modified: September 22, 2021