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Report: Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka almost fought after Ryder Cup

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Update 10/3: Koepka denied the report. Speaking with reporters ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he said: “This Dustin thing, I just don’t get. There was no fight, no argument. He’s one of my best friends. I love the kid to death. We talked on the phone Monday and yesterday, so you tell me how we fought. People like to make a story and run with it. It’s not the first time there’s been a news story that isn’t true that’s gone out.”

It sounds like Jupiter, Fla.’s most famous golf workout buddies were anything but chummy following U.S. side’s Ryder Cup beatdown. In fact, according to a report by The Telegraph’s James Corrigan, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka nearly gave one another a beating.

Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte confirmed the pair had to be separated after an incident in the European team room Sunday night following the loss.

There’s no word on the substance of the dispute. Johnson’s fiance, Paulina Gretzky was close by, as was Koepka’s girlfriend, Jena Sims, according to reports, but there’s no evidence she was involved in the dispute.

According to European player’s wife quoted in The Telegraph, Gretzky was “clearly shocked and upset by the nastiness, which was very threatening.”

What isn’t clear is what could bring to pair of long-time friends, both of whom are eminently easygoing, to the verge of a physical conflict.

Koepka and Johnson lost to Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose in their Saturday afternoon foursomes match.

Adding further intrigue, as Luke Kerr Dineen spotted, a report by Ben Cadiou in Le Equipe said the pair were involved in a dispute on the flight over to France.

Johnson has not commented on the alleged dust-up. Koepka’s agent, Blake Smith, told Golf Digest the story is “made up.”

 

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45 Comments

45 Comments

  1. Dave

    Oct 4, 2018 at 7:57 am

    I’ve lost count of the number of fights as a kid and bust ups later in life I’ve had with my best mate of 50 years!Mostly over sporting rivalries and failures. It means nothing.

  2. Your President Trump

    Oct 4, 2018 at 3:12 am

    Fake news

  3. Lovejoy

    Oct 3, 2018 at 3:29 am

    Is Alberstadt now the Golfwrx boxing and gossip correspondent?

  4. Tom

    Oct 3, 2018 at 1:27 am

    Remember the old jingle, “things go better with coke.” might apply here?

  5. shawn

    Oct 3, 2018 at 12:14 am

    Where is grandpa Wayne Gretzky in all of this Dallas-esque intrigue..???

  6. Jack

    Oct 2, 2018 at 10:15 pm

    Real story is that Paulina was still next to DJ.

    They should have just fought before the cup to sort things out rather than have bad chemistry throughout.

    • shawn

      Oct 3, 2018 at 12:13 am

      ex-Playboy bunnies tend to be gregarious and promiscuous … ya think?!!

  7. Brooks

    Oct 2, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    Will McKenzie, and Jason Dufner, use to be good friends with DJ too. Both are now divorced from their wives…..DJ cant be trusted… bet the truth all comes out real soon

    • shawn

      Oct 3, 2018 at 12:06 am

      OoOoOoOooh… hanky panky… in flagrante delicto too …?!!

  8. toyzrx

    Oct 2, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    Well, good friends fight sometimes and I hope they went at each other and worked it all out.

    • shawn

      Oct 2, 2018 at 5:29 pm

      Low IQ athletes will resort to physical confrontation to resolve their differences… because they don’t have the intelligence to do it peacefully and logically. They are brutes and not to be idolized … plain & simple….!

  9. s

    Oct 2, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    Wives and girlfriends….. *sigh*

    • shawn

      Oct 2, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      Wives and long suffering girlfriends with children born out of wedlock…!!

      • Tim Armington

        Oct 2, 2018 at 8:34 pm

        How old are you? 108???? Child born out of wedlock??? You are showing your low iq.

        • oppie

          Oct 2, 2018 at 9:01 pm

          It’s not “iq”…. it’s “IQ” or Intelligence Quotient…. “iq” is dopey…

        • None of your business

          Jul 8, 2023 at 11:43 pm

          It is still a valid term even now, and if it some how hurts your feelings, how about women with baby daddy’s , is that something that doesn’t hurt your delicate sensibilities.

  10. roger

    Oct 2, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Ain’t teamwork grrrreeeeaaaat … 😛

    • shawn

      Oct 3, 2018 at 12:04 am

      U.S. Ryder Cup players in near physical conflict…. U.S. democracy in political turmoil… Trump hammers out new deal with Mexico and Canada…. stock market soaring … only in the good ol’ US of A … 😮

  11. Tom

    Oct 2, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    Gotta believe Brooks vs. DJ fight as a pay-for-view would outsell Tiger vs. Phil golf at Thanksgiving.

  12. Bob

    Oct 2, 2018 at 1:16 pm

    Adds fuel to the rumor DJs fall at Augusta was a Koeoka push… Some people never learn to respect OPP

  13. Zac

    Oct 2, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    Pretty sure brooks would destroy dj

    • ~j~

      Oct 3, 2018 at 1:57 pm

      I’d go with DJ. Brookes has the look of someone who’ll get popped in the face and immediately walks away or concedes, hence why Jena runs his show.

      ORRRR Better question, Jena or Paulina???

  14. Scott

    Oct 2, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    I like the old days when American pros focused their aggression on Brits. Dave Hill threatening to wrap his 1-iron around Gallacher’s head, now that’s boss.

  15. Ciaran

    Oct 2, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    Apparently the loser has to play with Patrick Reed in 2020, some say they’re still fighting….

  16. big jones

    Oct 2, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    Who cares?

  17. Ardbegger

    Oct 2, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    …”and these are The Days of Our Lives”

  18. JP

    Oct 2, 2018 at 10:58 am

    The story is not made up.

    Brooks dropped some Tiger news to his friend giving him a heads up. Paulina told DJ that Brooks was telling him a lie. And that is where this whole thing started. Whether DJ & Paulina want to stay together for the kids sake is up to them. Paulina knew about DJ’s other fling and this was a way to get back at him. It’s all screwed up. Good luck to them.

    • C

      Oct 2, 2018 at 11:49 am

      Source?

    • Nolan

      Oct 2, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      I could believe the scorned woman part. Dangerous combo right there.

    • the dude

      Oct 2, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      what did you just say??????

    • Kevin

      Oct 2, 2018 at 6:02 pm

      R u saying tiger flurted w dj’s children’ mum?

    • Johnny Penso

      Oct 2, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      Why so cryptic? Just say what you have to say without all the riddles.

      • CrashTestDummy

        Oct 3, 2018 at 12:11 am

        Haha. Exactly. I didn’t understand a word of that. Some sort of code. Lol.

    • shawn

      Oct 3, 2018 at 12:10 am

      Tiger and Paulina ….??!!!! 😮 😮 😮

    • big jones

      Oct 3, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      The team did more than swap golf partners maybe?

      • oppie

        Oct 3, 2018 at 1:59 pm

        … one big happy family… doin’ it …. 😮

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News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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