The ongoing rivalry between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau has most likely been considered childish and petty to some golf purists. But in the eyes of PGA Tour member Harry Higgs, any publicity is good publicity.
"I'm all for it. I think it's good for the game," Higgs told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "I personally think there isn't as much disdain for each other as it may seem. They might just be egging it on a little bit. But I think it's great. There's nothing wrong with having some guys who maybe don't necessarily enjoy spending time with one another, or are rivals, if you will. And as good as those two play, they're always going to be up there, especially in the big tournaments. I think it's awesome. I think it's cool.
"Bryson has obviously, as we all know, put on some weight, put on some strength, and he's hitting the ball forever and he's winning a bunch of big tournaments. And Brooks, any major that's played, he's kind of the guy to beat. If you beat Brooks, you probably win the thing. As we just saw last week, Brooks finished second, so the guy who beat him won. I think it's cool. I would love to see at the next major at Torrey Pines, I would love to see if the USGA would put the two of them together and go have at it. May the best man win when you're staring at each other in the same group."
The Koepka-DeChambeau feud dates back a few years. In August 2019, Koepka complained about DeChambeau's slow pace of play, and in January 2020, DeChambeau mocked Koepka's physique and photos from an ESPN Body Issue magazine.
But the rift reached new heights this week. On Monday, an unaired video clip from a post-round interview between Koepka and the Golf Channel leaked online, showing Koepka rolling his eyes at a nearby DeChambeau and cursing under his breath during last weekend's PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
The consensus among some golf fans and analysts is that DeChambeau isn't respected by other PGA Tour members. But Higgs quickly denied that notion.
"That's wrong. Bryson is very different, I will say that. But Bryson is a really good dude," Higgs said. "He was a great teammate to me at SMU. Even though he's two years younger than me, he's been a huge help, just in my career -- especially my PGA Tour career. Just playing practice rounds, giving tidbits on courses, whatever it may be. He is definitely well liked, and I guess in a way, revered and respected... Bryson is always one who I love beating, because again, much like facing Brooks Koepka in a major, if you beat Bryson, you probably had a great week."
Koepka finished the PGA Championship with a 2-over 74 on Sunday, two shots behind Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest major winner (age 50) in PGA Tour history. As for DeChambeau, his final round was far from memorable, as he shot a 77 and finished at 3-over, seven shots behind Koepka and nine behind Mickelson.
The entire conversation between Higgs and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.