To Arnie’s Army, he was “Fat” Jack. Or there’s the U.S. fans taunting the Europeans at the “War on the Shore.” Of course, there’s Tiger and Phil, with Woods’ mother calling Mickelson “Hefty” instead of “Lefty.”
Golf’s rivalries are longstanding. The latest to boil into the public is between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, two major winners who aren’t big fans of one another. On a video outtake shot by Golf Channel (that went viral on social media until it began to get yanked down), DeChambeau walks behind Koepka, who was doing an on-camera interview. DeChambeau appears to say something that can’t be made out (reportedly “Hit it in the right line,” in response to Brooks’ remarks about struggling on the greens), and Koepka stops talking, rolls his eyes.
Here’s a quick list of some of golf’s other great rivalries
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer
When Nicklaus emerged as a great amateur in the late 1950s, Palmer was cementing himself as the biggest golfer on the planet, armed with his own army of fans. When Nicklaus started beating Palmer regularly, specifically at the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont, Arnie’s Army started giving Nicklaus, a few years removed from being “the Golden Bear,” a hard time. The fans called him “Fat Jack,” but that didn’t stop Nicklaus from dominating the 1960s, effectively ending Palmer’s reign.
U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams
Craig Jones/Allsport via Getty ImagesWhile the U.S. would dominate the early Ryder Cups, after the even was opened to European players, it became much more competitive and heated, and, well, hyperbolic. Think of the “War on the Shore.” It was really a bunch of pro golfers playing matchplay—no shooting was involved. But that didn’t discount the fact that the event became increasingly heated as the years went on. It boiled over at the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline when the U.S. team bounded on the green after Justin Leonard holed a lengthy putt against Jose Maria Olazábal. Many viewed it as poor sportsmanship, as Olazábal still had a putt to make, and the incident led the Ryder Cup to become more tense in the years that followed.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson is the second-greatest golfer of his generation. If it were not for Tiger Woods, Mickelson’s already legendary performances would surely have increased. There’s also general thought that Mickelson is the most naturally talented player in the sport, but was not prepared to work as hard as Woods. This led Woods’ mother, Kultida, to refer to Mickelson as “Hefty,” instead of his “Lefty” nickname. While the rivalry seems to have cooled over the years, when Woods and Mickelson played an exhibition match at Shadow Creek in 2018, the pair never seemed particularly comfortable with one another.
Patrick Reed versus everybody
Only Patrick Reed, golf’s perennial bad boy, could have an issue with Jordan Spieth, perhaps golf’s most engaging and likeable player. But that’s exactly what happened at the 2018 Ryder Cup when Reed, the so-called “Captain America,” blamed team chemistry for the U.S. squad’s struggles under Jim Furyk. Later Reed tried to explain away the internal issues the team had.
“The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me,” Reed said. “I don’t have any issue with Jordan. When it comes right down to it, I don’t care if I like the person I’m paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success. He and I know how to make each other better. We know how to get the job done.”
Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb
In the mid-1990s, Australian Karrie Webb was perhaps the biggest name in women’s golf. At least until Annika Sorenstam started completely dominating the women’s professional game. Webb was the Player of the Year in 2000, and was usurped by Sorenstam a year later. After that, Sorenstam became the dominant player on the LPGA Tour, but combined the pair had 113 victories. In many ways it was a rivalry based more on ability than personality; there was no indication the women disliked one another, but both had icy external demeanors and played exceptionally well for an extended period of time that often saw them go head-to-head.