He had just missed a birdie putt that brought an end to one of the most memorable playoffs the PGA Tour has seen in recent years, and understandably, he wanted to get away. From everyone. The roars for Patrick Cantlay, the winner of the BMW Championship, were still ringing out as DeChambeau ducked into the tunnel that cuts beneath the 18th hole grandstands. DeChambeau handed his hat to a gleeful adolescent fan standing at the rope line, then began a furious but silent walk up the steep hill that winds its way toward the Caves Valley clubhouse.
Halfway up the hill, something happened that made me feel like we’ve arrived at a miserable place in the never-ending circus that is DeChambeau. A patron waited until DeChambeau had walked by, but was not out of earshot, then sneered from over the rope line “Great job Brooksie!” DeChambeau spun around in a rage and began briefly walking in his direction.
“You know what? Get the f— out!” DeChambeau yelled. He had rage in his eyes.
I’m being dead serious when I say it could have gotten ugly really fast. Maybe not “Malice At The Palace” bad, but in that moment, nothing would’ve surprised me. A rope line is little more than a polite suggestion when it comes to security a golf tournament. DeChambeau had been hearing, and ignoring, that kind of taunt all week. But everyone has their breaking point.
Thankfully DeChambeau paused, angrily motioning for a police officer to handle the heckler, then continued his march up the hill. The entire exchange took less than 10 seconds. The PGA Tour declined comment when asked about the incident by ESPN. But we’ve been building to something like this all summer. And I don’t know what the end game is.
The feud between DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka felt playful when it started, a harmless distraction in a time when we needed one. Besides, shouldn’t golf try to be less stuffy? Athletes in other sports trade barbs all the time. Why should this be different? That’s how I viewed it. If DeChambeau couldn’t ignore the fans taking Koepka’s side, wasn’t that a sign of weakness? Shouldn’t he shut them up with his clubs?
It’s obvious who won, though, even if DeChambeau has won more money and more tournaments than Koepka this season. Koepka no longer even needs to participate to keep the feud going. (Koepka told me he agreed to pause it, at least for now, at the request of Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.) There is still an army of trolls eager to needle DeChambeau, and Koepka probably couldn’t call them off, even if he wanted to. It plays out almost like a Twitter harassment campaign with the trolls insisting they aren’t crossing any line, they’re just shouting “Brooksie!” because they want to support their favorite player — knowing full well it gets under DeChambeau’s skin.
Can you really boot someone from a professional sporting even for shouting a player’s name at a player who doesn’t like it? When does heckling cross a line and morph into bullying? And can you really bully a professional athlete who is built like a bull? It’s a surreal ethical dilemma.
If you’re not a golf fan, I suspect you find all this utterly perplexing, but golf is going to have to come up with an answer at some point because it’s not going away. The NBC broadcast team repeatedly implied the “Brooksie!” chants weren’t much of an issue throughout the weekend, that fans were mostly supportive of DeChambeau. But anyone who walked with DeChambeau at Caves Valley could tell you that was — to be generous — grossly misleading. I heard it dozens of times while walking with him and Cantlay during the six-hole playoff. DeChambeau had plenty of fans, sure, but he also had plenty of people openly rooting for him to hit the ball in the water. A huge contingent of the crowd was chanting “Patty! Pattt! Patty” for Cantaly, and roaring with glee when DeChambeau’s drive found the creek during the playoff.
I won’t tell anyone they should root for DeChambeau, or change their mind. He’s earned a lot of the criticism thrown his way. But I do think we’re losing the plot a bit, overlooking how compelling he is as a golfer, even if he can’t seem to resist saying foolish things. He isn’t as thoughtful behind the microphone as Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm — few athletes are. He just shot the lowest score in PGA Tour history by someone who didn’t win a golf tournament, an absolute showcase for a city that hasn’t had a PGA Tour event in 60 years. And yet he seems on the verge of a meltdown because he can’t tune out the people who delight in mocking him. In an era where we are encouraging athletes to talk about their mental health, is it still OK to openly ridicule DeChambeau simply because he comes across as less likeable?
If certain aspects of golf have tried to mirror professional wrestling, with the PGA Tour awarding $40 million as part of its Player Impact Program that is based partially on fan engagement, then DeChambeau was never meant to play the heel. It’s not in his DNA. People who interact with him regularly have told me that, deep down, what he wants is to be loved. To be embraced. He can’t seem to grasp why he often isn’t, despite so much success.
Five years ago, when DeChambeau was about to turn professional, I sent him an email, inquiring whether he might be willing to sit down for an interview about his desire to be an agent of change in the often-stagnant world of golf. His outspoken aspiration, even as a college student, to evolve the way we view equipment and science and putting seemed like a great story.
He wrote back almost right way. His response, as I recall, was both polite and earnest. DeChambeau invited me to come to California and spend time with him and his family. He was an open book, excited to share his theories on where he saw the sport going. We couldn’t get our schedules aligned, and sadly never made it happen, but lately I’ve been thinking about the kid DeChambeau was back then, still mostly unknown, yet so hungry and eager to share his passion for the game.
A lot of that earnestness remains, but some of it has been chipped away, and his resentments have hardened. It would be fun if everyone — DeChambeau included — could push a reset button, because it’s fascinating to watch him play golf. Even the athletes who annoy us deserve a little empathy. Whether he deserves it or not, it would be nice to extend him some.
LAS VEGAS — Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles was ejected from a minor league game during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday after he was nearly hit by an inside pitch and tossed his bat at the pitcher.
Las Vegas starter Joey Estes’ first pitch to Robles in the third inning was inside and Robles whacked at it to avoid getting hit. After taking a few steps behind the plate and dropping his bat, Robles picked up the bat and threw it in Estes’ direction and was immediately ejected from the game by plate umpire Joe McCarthy.
Robles, who was hit by a pitch three times in his previous four games with Tacoma, took some steps toward the mound while yelling at the pitcher but was held back by McCarthy and Las Vegas teammates.
After going into the dugout, Robles threw a box of snacks toward the field before heading to the clubhouse.
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing a deal, sources told ESPN, paving the way for him to join one of the strongest lineups in baseball.
The deal, which will be for a prorated portion of the major league minimum after Lowe was designated for assignment by Washington earlier this month and went unclaimed on waivers, adds a veteran bat to a first-base mix that has been uncertain since Triston Casas‘ season-ending knee injury in May.
Lowe, 30, had been a consistent presence for the Texas Rangers for the past four seasons, including their World Series championship run in 2023. But after an offseason trade to the Nationals, Lowe posted career lows in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Nevertheless, Boston was thrilled to bring him in, hopeful he can find a resurgence at Fenway Park, where he could fit nicely on the left side of a platoon. Lowe has hit 14 home runs in 337 plate appearances against right-handed pitching this season, posting an OPS+ 20% better than league average.
The Red Sox have split time at first between veterans Abraham Toro against right-handed starters and Romy Gonzalez against left-handers. In 109 plate appearances against lefties, Gonzalez is punishing them, hitting .354/.404/.667. After a strong start to the season, Toro’s performance has faltered over the past five weeks, leaving a potential opportunity for Lowe.
Despite the questions at first, Boston ranks fourth in runs scored in the major leagues with 626 in 125 games, just 14 behind the big league-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox have got potential fortification waiting at Triple-A as well, with rookie Kristian Campbell righting his swing, Vaughn Grissom still playing well enough for an opportunity and top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia slugging 17 home runs in 65 games.
With Lowe going unclaimed on waivers, the Nationals will owe him most of the remainder of his $10.3 million salary. Lowe will be arbitration-eligible next offseason, offering the possibility Boston could bring him back in 2026.
At 68-57 this season, the Red Sox are tied with the Seattle Mariners for the top wild-card spot, a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees. The next-closest team in the AL wild-card race is Cleveland, which is 3½ games behind New York.
Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz drove a pitch to deep right-center, known as Triples Alley at Oracle Park, and Lee made a play that created a buzz Sunday on social media as San Francisco beat the Rays 7-1.
Lee ran to his left and while sliding on his left leg, the baseball bounced out of his glove. The ball deflected to his his left thigh and rolled down to his left calf before it popped up and he pinned it between his knees and snagged it with his glove.
The speedy, 26-year-old South Korean has become a fan favorite in San Francisco since signing a sixth-year deal worth $113 million before the 2024 season.
He’s about to be even more popular.
Lee has been perhaps the best player on the middle-of-the-pack Giants this season, playing regularly after his rookie season was shortened to 26 games because of injury. He has bounced back from season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder after being injured crashing into an outfield wall.
