“There was no fight”- When Brooks Koepka denied any ‘argument’ with Dustin Johnson after reported coming-together at Ryder Cup 2018
Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka play together on the LIV Golf series, but they reportedly had quite a falling out at the 2018 Ryder Cup. The incident was reported as a confrontation that happened at the afterparty, and it quickly caught the eye of the golf world.
According to SB Nation, the incident took place in the European Team room on Sunday night. The confrontation eventually led to both sides of the party having to be separated. According to another Golf Digest report, witnesses at the party were ‘clearly shocked and upset by the nastiness, which was very threatening’.
However, Brooks Koepka went on to later say that the fight never happened. Speaking via the Daily Mail in 2018, Koepka said:
"There was no fight, no argument. He is one of my best friends. We talked on the phone on Monday and yesterday so tell me how we fought, I don't know. People like to make a story and run with it and it is not the first time a story has come out that is not true."
Koepka went on to say that both of them were quite good friends and that neither of them raised their voice at the other. He said that the media was trying to make the situation out to be something it was not.
Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and co faced a tough defeat at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France
The 2018 Ryder Cup that took place in France saw Team Europe take a resounding victory over Team USA. Beating the American side with a score of 17.5 to 10.5, captain Thomas Bjorn led the successful European team.
Team USA consisted of several strong players including the likes of Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Phil Mickelson, who were led by captain Jim Furyk. While Team USA went into the tournament optimistic about their win, things soon fell apart for them.
Dustin Johnson, the then World No. 1, finished the Ryder Cup with a disappointing record of 1-4, while Brooks Koepka finished with a record of 1-2-1. While the US team started with only a two-point deficit on day 1, the European team took a 10-6 lead on day 2, after which Team USA saw the Ryder Cup slip from their hands.
Both Johnson and Koepka played in the 2020 Ryder Cup before making the switch to the LIV Golf Series. Being suspended from the PGA Tour saw their chances of playing in the 2023 Ryder Cup reduce drastically. However, 2023 US team captain Zach Johnson made Brooks Koepka a captain's pick, allowing him to play for the team once again.