Keenly anticipated as a grudge match between two of golf’s best players, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau’s ‘The Match’ failed to go the distance after a 4&3 win for Koepka.
The pair were theatrically held apart by tour veteran Phil Mickelson ahead of the Las Vegas contest but their duel only lasted nine of the scheduled 12 holes.
Both players opened with par before Koepka struck first blood with a 10-foot birdie on the second to go one up.
DeChambeau missed a good opportunity to even the scores on the par-three third, misreading an 11-foot birdie putt to settle for a par, which was matched by Koepka.
After both men claimed par on the fourth, Koepka extended his lead on the par-five fifth with his second birdie of the day, while DeChambeau let a mighty drive go to waste by hitting a tree with his second shot and failing to get up-and-down.
Another misread putt from DeChambeau allowed Koepka to go three up on the sixth, which he added to with a fourth birdie on the par four eighth.
The event came to an abrupt end on the ninth when DeChambeau conceded after missing a long range putt to give Koepka a 4&3 victory.
"It was fun to come out here and settle this,” said Koepka. “It’s kind of like my major right now. I’m not going to lie. I just wanted to spank him.”
