DeChambeau, Koepka not paired for U.S. Open
- Senior golf writer for ESPN.com
- Covered golf for more than 20 years
- Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana University
SAN DIEGO — Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau will not be grouped with Brooks Koepka during the first two rounds of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
And he was also not asked to play with Koepka, who won the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens.
Brett Falkoff, DeChambeau’s agent, said talk of such a request by the United States Golf Association was “100 percent false.” Craig Annis, brand manager for the USGA, also said that “Bryson was not asked.”
In a statement sent to ESPN, Falkoff said: “The USGA did not reach out to Bryson regarding a potential pairing with Brooks Koepka. Bryson is fully focused on defending the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines this week.”
Instead, as is custom, DeChambeau will play with reigning U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci. They will be joined by Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama at 4:14 p.m. ET on Thursday off the No. 1 tee at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Koepka will play the first two rounds beginning at 10:29 a.m. ET starting on the 10th tee with Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.
The feud between Koepka and DeChambeau escalated last month after the PGA Championship when a video leaked of an interview Koepka did in which he showed disdain for DeChambeau, who had unwittingly distracted Koepka.
Plenty of social media banter followed, and there was considerable speculation the USGA might group them together for the first two rounds at Torrey Pines.
Among other pairings, Phil Mickelson, who won the PGA Championship last month at Kiawah, will play with fellow Southern Californians Xander Schauffele and Max Homa beginning at 10:51 a.m. ET off the 10th tee.
No. 1-ranked Dustin Johnson is in a group with Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose at 4:36 p.m. ET off the first tee.
Other groups include past U.S. Open champions Martin Kaymer, Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland (10:51 a.m. ET); past Masters champions Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson (4:25 p.m. ET). Lee Westwood, Stewart Cink and Paul Casey (4:14 p.m. ET).
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