25 October 2023 , 13:17
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Bryson DeChambeau and his Crushers teammates have been labelled "cringe" by a PGA Tour rival after the scenes that followed their LIV Golf Team Championship win on Sunday.
The controversial American was joined by Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri in landing prize money in excess of £11million after a dramatic finale at the Trump Doral in Miami. Taking on the RangeGoats, Torque and defending champions the 4Aces in the final of the three-day event, the quartet prevailed by two shots.
And it was Dechambeau who provided the winning moment, holing the putt for a bogey on the last which kick-started the party. But the celebrations appeared muted at the best, despite the four players popping champagne on the green, and the 'Mad Scientist' himself trying to ramp things up by shouting “love you, brother” and “let’s go" to team members.
But the crowd seemed less than enthused, with the atmosphere seemingly flat as the four players embraced. It made for awkward viewing, with vociferous LIV critic Eddie Pepperell taking to social media to lambast the scenes.
"I tried, sincerely, I just tried to watch this and feel something genuine," he wrote. "Joy, inspiration, something. And I just cringed. It’s just all cringe, the whole show, the teams, the individuals. Hate to s**t on something but honestly, it’s just so far away from being compelling."
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Many fans agreed with the assessment, while on the contrary, Pepernell's words were also greeted with accusations of envy at the finances on offer on the Saudi-backed tour. But he then argued that Greg Norman's venture had actually benefited his career.
Bryson DeChambeau is a LIV Golf Team Championship winner (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Is the LIV Golf project failing? Comment below.
"As always, the classic ‘jealousy’ comments come out when criticising LIV," he replied. "I’ve no reason to hate LIV or be jealous, if anything I’ve benefitted from it. I’m just observing like everyone else it’s obvious pitfalls. It had a chance to create something special and it hasn’t."
Indeed, the scenes were lightyears away from what transpired at the recent Ryder Cup in Rome, as Europe won back the trophy from America following three compelling days. And from the LIV rebels only Brooks Koepka tasted the electric atmosphere, with the five-time major champion the only non-PGA Tour member selected on either side.
And moving to the controversial venture is also costing LIV players their places in major Championships. The vast majority are set to miss the 2024 US Masters at Augusta in April, with their tournaments not yet recognised by the Official Golf World Rankings.