Billy Horschel dubs Rory McIlroy vs Bryson DeChambeau’s US Open showdown the ‘Goliath vs Goliath’ match, says fans need such clashes

Billy Horschel has recently emphasized that fans need high-profile clashes in tournaments. He gave an example of Rory Mcllroy vs Bryson DeChambeau clash at the US Open 2024.

Horschel was talking with Smylie Kaufman in 'The Smylie Show'. Horschel talked about how PGA Tour executives were aware of the need for changes to sustain progress and financial success. However, he said that with over 215 active members, implementing new ideas is challenging due to differing opinions.

Kaufman asked Horschel the optimal number of players for tournaments on the PGA Tour if 215 was quite large and what different players thought about it. Horschel said (via "The Smylie Show" on YouTube):

"I think every player is different in their number. Listen the Signature Events have been great, in the sense of you're getting the top players together; 70 man Fields. I do believe though we need to have a few I think the fields need to be larger, I think you need to bring more story lines," Horschel said (54:10-54:18).

Billy Horschel asserted that golf fans would be bored and disinterested if the PGA Tour kept having the same top players playing in the Signature Events. He said that the best storylines would be classic David vs. Goliath scenarios. He further claimed that while underdog stories are captivating, top players competing against each other is equally rewarding. He said:

"And listen, when you have Goliath versus Goliath, it's awesome like you did at the US Open Championship with Rory and Bryson and Patrick Cantlay and everything," he added (55:05-55:12).

Bryson DeChambeau won the US Open 2024 at Pinehurst No.2 by one stroke over Rory Mcllroy. In 2018, McIlroy won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by three strokes over DeChambeau.

Billy Horschel is currently competing at the 2024 Wyndham Championship. He was positioned second on the leaderboard with 8 under par in 16 holes before the first round was suspended on Friday, August 9.

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A look at Billy Horschel's performance in 2024

Billy Horschel has had a great 2024 season. He has one win, five top-10 finishes and nine top-25 finishes. He is currently positioned 27th on the FedExCup standings.

Horschel won the 2024 Corales Puntacana Championship by two strokes from Wesley Bryan. Hoschel's notable performances include a T2 finish at the Open Championship, a T7 finish at the Texas Children's Houston Open, and a T8 finish at the PGA Championship.

Let's take a look at Billy Horschel's performances in the 2024 season:

2024 PGA TOUR Tournaments

• Sony Open in Hawaii: T18 (68-68-68-65, 269, -11)
• The American Express: Missed Cut (72-68-65, 205, -11)
• Farmers Insurance Open: Missed Cut (74-71, 145, +1)
• WM Phoenix Open: T41 (72-67-66-73, 278, -6)
• Cognizant Classic: T9 (66-71-69-66, 272, -12)
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Missed Cut (71-74, 145, +1)
• Valspar Championship: T12 (69-72-71-67, 279, -5)
• Texas Children's Houston Open: T7 (71-68-67-64, 270, -10)
• Valero Texas Open: Missed Cut (75-73, 148, +4)
• Corales Puntacana Championship: 1 (67-69-66-63, 265, -23)
• Wells Fargo Championship: T52 (76-72-72-72, 292, +8)
• PGA Championship: T8 (69-69-69-64, 271, -13)
• Charles Schwab Challenge: T24 (69-71-67-72, 279, -1)
• the Memorial Tournament pres. by Workday: T15 (69-74-76-71, 290, +2)
• U.S. Open: T41 (73-67-74-74, 288, +8)
• Travelers Championship: T55 (72-67-70-67, 276, -4)
• Genesis Scottish Open: Missed Cut (69-71, 140, E)
• The Open: T2 (72-68-69-68, 277, -7)