The Rivalry We've Been Waiting for

The Rivalry We’ve Been Waiting For & It’s Not Brooks & Bryson

A lot of golf fans have been hoping for a chance to see a showdown between Brooks & Bryson ever since the infamous eye roll at the PGA Championship. So far, event after event has passed without the two being paired together and the drama keeps on building.
 
After the BMW Championship, a fan taunted Bryson with his least favorite nickname. The incident resulted in the fan being removed from the event similar to the Memorial in June. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced that any fan shouting such insults as the players would result in their swift removal from future events.
 
While we didn’t get to see any more drama between Koepka and DeChambeau, but we would argue that we got the chance to see an even better showdown unfold.
 

Less Drama, More Competition

During Saturday’s round at the Tour Championship, we saw Rahm and Cantlay battle it out for the top of the leaderboard. It marked the 20th time the two golfers have been paired together. The last two rounds of the tournament were a sensational display of talent and determination. While there were no viral eye rolls between the two, Rahm and Cantlay still put on quite a show this weekend.
 
I don’t even know if golf fans even really knew that this is the rivalry they have been waiting for. After testing positive for Covid 19, Rahm was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament. It came at a surprise as he was decidedly in the lead with a 6-shot advantage after 54 holes. As a result, Cantlay went on to win the over $1.6 million payout and a 3-year exemption.
 
“I mean, listen, confidence-wise, personal boost-wise, I did win. Resume-wise, I did not. So on paper I didn’t; mentally, I did,” Rahm said of his Memorial near miss.
 
It probably didn’t help that Cantlay bested Rahm at the BMW Championship and began the Tour Championship with a 4-stroke lead. The competition was intense with the two remaining virtually neck in neck for the entire tournament. Ultimately, Cantlay edged ahead and beat Rahm by just one stroke.
 

 
Watching the two compete was the rivalry we’ve been waiting for. There was no heckling, bad mouthing, or viral moments. Just great golf.
 
“It’s something I really enjoy, but I don’t think about it as a rivalry, one person as opposed to another,” Cantlay said.
 
Both golfers are looking ahead to the Ryder Cup later this month where they will face off yet again. Their similarities are sure to prove to be a challenge in gaining a comfortable lead over the other.
 
“I think we’re both very consistent, and I think we both hit it where we’re looking a lot, and that’s why we play well,” Cantlay said simply.
 
Rahm also played his cards pretty close to the vest when discussing Cantlay, “He’s a very well-rounded player overall. There’s not really anything that you can say is a weakness,” he said.
 
The Brooks-Bryson feud has provided hilarious memes and video parodies, but Rahm and Cantlay are different. The greatest rivalry in golf doesn’t need to play out in a Twitter feud to capture our attention.