Forgotten in all the fuss over Bryson DeChambeau’s rules fiasco at Friday’s British Open Championship is the fact that a truly great golf tournament broke out, and that DeChambeau himself played some great golf to get into contention at Royal Birkdale.
DeChambeau would have liked to have entered the weekend at 7 under par, just one stroke behind Lucas Herbert. He would have liked to have carried on the momentum he gained in the second round and finished with a birdie-birdie, scoring what appeared to be an incredible 66 (actually 68). He would have wanted to be in the final group on Saturday.
and, Conversation centers on grass and whether DeChambeau stomped on grass Stone is what you should be listening to as you walk off the course Friday night after a long practice session to improve your swing path on the par-4 5th hole.
As the Rolling Stones once sang, “You may not always get what you want, but once you try, you’ll find that you can get what you need.”
DeChambeau’s availability for Saturday’s third-round game was initially undetermined, but he confirmed on Friday night that he would be available for the weekend, using the penalty as further motivation.
All of this is DeChambeau being DeChambeau. He stirs the pot. he is immature He longs to be in the spotlight. After all, he’s a showman. If Friday served as a friendly reminder, he’s (really) good at calling for attention. It would be shocking if he gave up a golden opportunity to win the Claret Jug from three drifters, especially considering everything that happened.
And then a lot of things happened, including criticism for missing out on three straight major championships, and claims of a lack of strategy and pursuit of goals outside of professional golf, and he became a kind of punching bag for traditionalists.
In DeChambeau’s mind, the two-stroke penalty is another item on the list of injustices against him. So why not put the R&A on high alert? It adds even more fire to this great golf run over 36 holes.
DeChambeau is playing with family money. You should never think about folding, no matter how poor your bluff. Rather, he should push the pile of chips into the middle and look everyone at the table in the eye and go all-in.
Plenty of ball strikers
Amid all the drama, what’s happening at this golf course is a grand party filled with the fame of ball strikers. Of the top 10 ball strikers through 36 holes, only two (!) rank inside the top 100 in putting, and neither (Cameron Young, Shane Lowry) ranks inside the top 50.
There’s still a lot of golf left to play, and with that comes good and bad. Perhaps the next two days will be as simple as the course determining which players finally start holed putts with consistency.
Top 10 ball strikers (putting ranking)
1. Jon Rahm (137th)
2. Scottie Scheffler (128th)
3. Bryson DeChambeau (112th)
4. Rory McIlroy (132nd)
5. Cameron Young (52nd)
6. Alex Nolen (148th)
7. Patrick Reed (104th)
8. Shane Lowry (89th place)
9. Ben Griffin (147th)
10. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (117th)
Where are the tracks?
Joaquin Niemann was penalized two strokes at Sinek Hills for throwing 50 yards with a club near the end of the first round. The USGA determined this was serious misconduct under Rule 1.2b. This came after Sergio Garcia was cautioned by Augusta National for an outburst in the final round of the Masters, hitting the tee box on the par-5 second hole and breaking his driver when it hit a cooler. Robert McIntyre was also reminded of the code of conduct at the year’s first major tournament.
According to the broadcast, Jon Rahm received a code of conduct warning from rules officials for tomahawking his club on the 15th tee.
It’s all well and good to clean up player behavior and keep the game gentlemanly, but where is the line? What separates Niemann’s club throw (which must have been the stuff of legend) from Garcia’s action or Rahm’s toss?
Is the game gone?
Returning to Royal Birkdale brought back many memories, but it was also a reminder of the current state of the game. As players play longer and technology continues to be leveraged, everyone and everything becomes more efficient. That was evident in the second round, when not one, but two players tied the single-round major championship scoring record. Herbert and Sam Barnes both signed in record-tying 62 seconds..
There are currently seven 62s in the history of major championship golf. All of this has been happening since the opening in 2017, when Brendan Grace first signed to Magic Number. Since then, two cards each have been issued at Los Angeles Country Club (US Open) and Valhalla Golf Club (PGA Championship). The Masters was the only time he managed to avoid a score below 63. Par 72 so that helps.
Friday was a historic day and Herbert and Burns should be praised for their performances. They turned 62 in completely different emotional states and rhythms, and it was fascinating to watch unfold. It was equally interesting to hear them discuss.
“I’m really disappointed, but at the same time I’m very proud of today,” Herbert said. “I’m very, very proud to be able to put my name on the list of guys who hit 62 in a major tournament. So it’s like two emotions at the same time. It’s a tough one, but I’m sure once the dust settles, I’ll be able to feel a little better about it. Both things are going well for me right now, but it’s also a pretty good problem to hit 62 and be disappointed.”
What about Burns? “I didn’t know anything about it until I was told about it locally. I didn’t know that was the case,” he said.
Like a grandpa, like a grandchild
One of the more interesting stories that’s been brewing is that Pierceson Coody found himself in the top 20 heading into the weekend in his British Open debut. On the surface that makes little sense, but when you realize that his grandfather is Masters champion Charles Coody, it becomes pretty cool.
“I called him on Tuesday afternoon because Tuesday was actually his birthday,” Pierceson Coody said. “When he played, I talked to him about some of the holes and asked him how it was different now and some of the lines. He remembers quite a few holes. He has a great memory for golf.”
“Yeah, I think he’s very invested, and I know you’re watching on ShotLink. He’ll say he needs to get the ball in the fairway a few more times and hit the green a few more times from short to mid-range, where he allowed some easy bogeys. Luckily, I’m still doing some things well, so hopefully I can have a hot 36 holes while hitting the ball.”
As Coody revealed, his grandfather turned 89 earlier this week. In a career that included a Masters victory, the elder Coody played only once at the British Open in 1971, finishing T5. Coincidentally, it was held at Royal Birkdale.
“If I’m doing what he’s been doing for over 25 years of his career, I’d say I’m doing very well,” Coody said. “Yeah, I know he played well here. Unfortunately, I know this was his only British Open. As he says, back then it didn’t make sense to pay to come and do anything like that.”
“It’s a shame because the way he played was really good for this style of golf. He was a really pure ball striker. It’s really special. I understand what that means and I’ve thought about it quite a bit. It’s definitely a moment to think about as I enjoy walking on No. 18 on Sunday.”
fitzpatrick brothers
As everyone expected, Fitzpatrick found his way inside the top 10 at the halfway point…and it just…wasn’t the most expected Fitzpatrick. Matt Fitzpatrick, No. 3 in the world rankings and potential PGA Tour Player of the Year, was sent home in a 72-second duel that left him several strokes behind. South side of cut line.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Alex played some great golf on Friday, balancing four birdies and one bogey in the final of the afternoon, propelling him into this championship. The two have been sharing accommodation this week, but are unlikely to have a conversation about today’s events.
As for whether the two discuss each other’s performances, Alex said, “No, no, I’ll leave the stats to him and I’ll just watch TV.”
remember the name
One of the best parts of major championships is that golf fans can discover new information about players that they might not otherwise know. This week it could be Jackson Suber. He defended his first-round lead after opening with a 65 and backed it up with a respectable 69 on Friday. Suber got a late tee time on Saturday, even though it was his first time in Europe and his first time playing links golf. For this reason, it is time to honor his name. Not Jackson Suber, that’s his full name, which has been in his family for generations.
“My full name is John Wetherington Suber III,” Suber said. “My grandfather is John Wetherington Suber Sr. and my father is Junior and they call him Jack. So I’m Jackson, if that makes sense.”
some serious battles
It’s always cool to see all these players, especially young ones like Jose Luis Ballester, compete at the cut line. Playing in his second British Open, the former U.S. Amateur champion signed with a 71, but was on the wrong side of the cut line by three strokes with two holes remaining. Then magic happened. The 22-year-old eagled the 17th and rocked a pin on his approach at the end, where he made birdie and secured his place on the tee sheet this weekend.
Barrester won’t win this British Open unless something biblical happens, but Friday night will show just how much the back nine means to him. He lived and died with every shot and every stroke of his putter just to be able to walk around Royal Birkdale two more times in a major championship environment.
