The reaction of the crowds during the first two rounds of the PGA Championship made it difficult to identify any of the LIV players.
As far as we can tell, whether it was Phil Mickelson, Cam Smith, or Mito pereira, all 16 golfers who left the PGA Tour field were treated in the same way as those who remained in Jay Monahan’s good graces.
Then, it happened.
Brooks Koepka, the most controversial pairing in the third round of PGA Championship, and Byson deChambeau didn’t receive a warm welcome. Both were booed at the first tee. DeChambeau was booed louder than Koepka, who received a more mixed reception.
CBS’ Jim Nantz acknowledged the change in fans’ attitude, saying that he hadn’t heard this kind of greeting from LIV golfers all week.
LIV is so divisive that almost everyone has an opinion about the tour, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Fans from both sides will express this more and more whenever players from the two tours meet at majors. The reaction was not surprising, especially when you consider the personalities of the two players.
DeChambeau & Koepka were once involved in a public feud which took off on social media. At one point, it became the talk of PGA Tour. Both played up the feud, almost like they were trying to keep it in the public spotlight, and it only added to their social media presence.
Koepka easily won a head to head match that was set up in Las Vegas for 2021.
This helped to ease tensions, which were further reduced when both players joined LIV. They now had a shared cause in LIV’s dispute against the PGA Tour. Both players were criticized by critics for their anti-LIV comments made just months before they decided to leave the PGA Tour and take the money.
In February, Koepka answered a question about his rivalry against DeChambeau.
He said, “Believe or not, it’s true. We crushed it.” “We’re good. Because of the events at LIV, I talk to him quite often. I talk to him almost every other day. We have a good line of communication. “We’ve got it all figured out. We’re good.”
Koepka paired with DeChambeau was the third to last pairing at Oak Hill Country Club on Saturday. DeChambeau began the day at 3 under, two shots behind the leaders. Koepka had a score of 2 under.
