Opening Odds for Bryson DeChambeau vs Brooks Koepka – The Match V on November 26th
- The Match V features Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka playing a 12-hole match November 26th at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, NV
- DeChambeau is the -125 slight favorite after winning the fourth iteration of ‘The Match’ with Aaron Rodgers
- See analysis and who your bet should be in the story below
A highly anticipated duel between two adversaries in Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka is upon us. The two world-class golfers have had plenty of run-ins and controversies between the two of them, and now it’ll be time for them to put up or shut up.
At the recent Ryder Cup, the ‘Mad Scientist’ hinted at something they’d both be involved in, and here it is: a 12-hole match at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas to appease the fans who have been frothing at the mouth to see the two go toe-to-toe. It’ll be the fifth version of ‘The Match’ and first one-on-one competition since the initial battle between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
Turner Sports will televise The Match on TNT (as well as TBS, TruTV and HLN) at 4pm ET November 26th, the day after American Thanksgiving.
The Match 5 Bryson DeChambeau vs Brooks Koepka Opening Odds
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bryson DeChambeau | -125 |
| Brooks Koepka | +120 |
Odds as of October 6th
Bryson has opened as the slight favorite, although Brooks will likely pull closer to even by the time we reach the match date.
So does this mean we’re having “Friendsgiving” #CapitalOnesTheMatch x @turnersportspr pic.twitter.com/nkuKLivHxN
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) October 6, 2021
Genesis of the Feud
For those who aren’t as familiar with the dynamics of the Bryson/Brooks disdain, sit tight because this will take a while. It all started in 2019 with slow play, as Brooks was annoyed with how long Bryson was taking – then the latter telling Koepka’s caddy if his man had anything to say to say it to his face. Then, Bryson took shots at Koepka’s appearance on a livestream which led to a classic clapback.
You were right @b_dechambeau I am 2 short of a 6 pack! pic.twitter.com/aCJ1jimId6
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) January 16, 2020
Months later. DeChambeau was upset he didn’t get a free drop when fire ants surrounded his ball, and Koepka jokingly mocked him by complaining about the same thing. There were other small incidents but it really ratcheted up when Brooks rolled his eyes after Bryson said something to him off camera and the video went viral.
Here's the eye roll from Koepka that the guys are talking about. Will likely be turned into the meme of 2021. pic.twitter.com/BWV8eh4UWB
— ESPN Milwaukee (@ESPNMilwaukee) May 25, 2021
Other troll attempts include Koepka saying he loved his caddy when Bryson’s quit on him and the former proclaiming to love his equipment when the latter complained about his. Then fans started shouting ‘Brooksy’ when DeChambeau hit which was so polarizing that fans aren’t allowed to say it anymore.
Suffice to say, the two don’t like each other – or they perfectly know how to gain publicity, and eventually lead to matches such as this.
Bryson Better Statistically
This year, both golfers won once on the PGA Tour, with Brooks claiming the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Bryson winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Koepka does have the advantage in major titles, as he leads four-to-one. For the 2020-21 campaign, however, his adversary clipped him in many ‘strokes gained’ categories.
DeChambeau/Koepka 2020-21 Strokes Gained Rankings
| 1st | Off-The-Tee | 7th |
| 2nd | Total | 8th |
| 5th | Tee-To-Green | 11th |
| 20th | Putting | 66th |
| 53rd | Approach | 25th |
The Line Likely Will Move Towards Koepka
Though he has his detractors who don’t like his perceived arrogance, generally speaking Brooks Koepka isn’t vilified. The same can’t be said about DeChambeau, who seemingly creates a new social media firestorm with people expressing vitriol toward him weekly. On that end, even though he’s considered the favorite now, the money may shift towards the more popular Koepka.
Both players are obviously supremely talented, and both have different motivations for wanting to crush the other. At this time, I’d rather go for the slightly longer odds to win since it’ll eventually get shorter on Koepka.
- Pick: Brooks Koepka (+120)
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
