After the US team had lost the Ryder Cup and subjected themselves to the prying questions of the assembled press at Le Golf National, the European winners made the traditional gesture of inviting the losing side into the winning side's team room for some socializing, partying, drinking, mischief and good fun.
Apparently it was at this time that friends Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka got into some kind of scuffle. The Telegraph's James Corrigan first reported on the incident, with other publications chiming in to confirm it happened in some fashion. Some outlets reported Johnson's partner, Paulina Gretzky, was a key piece of the source of the problem. Others said Koepka's girlfriend, Jena Sims, had a part in it, too.
Then Koepka's agent denied it ever happened. A few days later in Scotland, Koepka himself followed up with a denial at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Now US captain Jim Furyk acknowledges something -- something -- happened between the Bash Brothers, but it wasn't bad and didn't last for long. Speaking with Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte, Furyk downplayed whatever incident there was.
"Whatever altercation started, or what happened, it was very brief. It was very short," Furyk said. "Neither one of them really took anything out of it. They're like brothers. Brothers may argue, brothers get into it. But they're as close as they've ever been, and it really had no effect on either one of them."
Koepka was defiant in his comments last week, suggesting a story was concocted. Furyk indicated a French report of a tussle between Koepka and Johnson on the charter to France was false.
“We never fought, that’s not our relationship. We’re two even-keeled guys and I can’t even remember raising my voice to him or him to me in our four years of friendship," he said. "That’s not who we are. We’re pretty laid back and it’s just you guys trying to make something that’s not there. We supposed(ly) fought on the plane on the way over too when we were sleeping. It’s just awful.”
