The feud between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau has caught the headlines of the golfing world with two of the finest players in the world at odds with one another. Koepka has made no secret of his disdain for his compatriot, calling out DeChambeau for his behaviour and antics on the course. DeChambeau has responded in turn with jabs regarding his appearance and intolerance for his slow play. It has brought a different angle to the golfing circuit not renowned for hatred between players unless it’s Happy Gilmore and Shooter McGavin we’re talking about.
Life is not an Adam Sandler movie, and although the rivalry between the players is harmless enough as competitors in a game played by individuals, Steve Stricker will have huge concerns ahead of the Ryder Cup. The United States is backed in the golf betting odds at 4/7 to win the tournament and reclaim the trophy from Europe on home soil.
However, a divide between two of their best players could disrupt the harmony among the American team, which has been an issue compared to their opponents. For a team that is constructed from players across several different countries and languages across the continent, the European side has managed to forge a strong spirit within their ranks that have allowed them to compete and defeat the States more often than not in recent history of the Ryder Cup.
The States has arguably had the stronger players at their disposal, and the 2021 Ryder Cup appears to be following the trend. Seven out of the top 10 players in the world are American, while Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed are also in the vicinity. To say that the United States have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal ahead of the tournament is an understatement. It has been a similar story in the past with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Davis Love III among many others failing to combine to overcome their opponents.
Koepka and DeChambeau are already ruled out as a pairing given that the two players cannot co-exist on course without some miraculous bridge-building between now and the start of the competition. Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Spieth are also players that have a singular focus rather than a team-orientated approach. It helps their approach for tournaments where they are always among the leading contenders in the golf betting tips for the majors. However, for a tournament that is predicated on teamwork and compromise, the States have rarely managed to find a system of give-and-take that has succeeded. There have been success stories such as 2016, but those have been few and far between.
Stricker himself had a solid record at the Ryder Cup in his first two appearances, although a shocking week at Medinah in 2012 ruined his statistics to an overall record of 3-7-1. He has to harness the strength of his talented individuals towards a team ethos. Many captains have tried and failed, but his methodical approach could bring the same success as Paul Azinger in 2008 and Davis Love III In 2016. It will begin with work with Koepka and DeChambeau, but that will be just the beginning of his challenges in a huge moment for golf in the United States.