Bryson DeChambeau seemingly lost his mind, at least for a moment Friday at The Memorial and the result was a total disaster.
DeChambeau, who has seven straight top 10 finishes on tour, put an end to that streak with his play at the par five 15th at Muirfield Village.
DeChambeau, who opened with a 73 on Thursday, was even par for his round after making a bogey at the 14th hole. He stepped up at 15 and hooked his tee shot wide left, into the creek that runs down the hole, deep in the woods. He took his penalty and made his drop. His ball settled into a gnarly lie and with 241 to the hole he had no reasonable path to the green. That didn’t stop him.
DeChambeau took a fairway wood, tried to hit a hook from the nasty lie and blew it way right, out-of-bounds. Out in three, back in four, hitting five. He didn’t try to punch out, instead, he opted to try the same shot. Same result — he blew it way right, once again, out-of-bounds. Out in five, back in six, hitting seven. Still, he did not choose to punch out.
“I think he’ll “Tin Cup” it,” said host Jack Nicklaus as everyone realized DeChambeau was headed for a number — a big number. His seventh once again headed way right, this time it stayed in, bounced on a cart path, rolled toward the green and nearly went into a hazard short of the green. Before he hit his eighth shot, he argued with a PGA Tour official, contending his second OB was actually in-bounds and asked for a second official.
The second opinion was a total waste of time. The second official explained it to him again, Bryson argued again, but to no avail. He hit his eighth onto the green and two-putted for a big fat 10.
“He’s got to learn to tone it back when it’s time to tone it back,” Nicklaus added.
DeChambeau’s “Tin Cup” moment cost him a place in the field for the weekend. Instead, he shot 42 on the back nine for 76 and his five-over total missed he cut by a slim two shots. The punch out would have saved him.
On this day, he showed that his great distance can be both a blessing and a curse.
Dustin Johnson Has Twin Snowmen:
It was a horrible two days for world’s No. 4 Dustin Johnson. D.J. opened with an 80 and shot another one on Friday — dueling snowmen. He wasn’t the only top 10 player to miss the cut. No. 5 Webb Simpson shot 76-74 and No. 7 DeChambeau exited early thanks to his adventure at the 15th.
Other big names going home early included Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and Open champion Shane Lowry. Fowler, who shot 81 on Thursday, came back strong with 68 on Friday.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
Bryson. Bryson. Bryson.
First, after his first drop from the penalty area on 15, he wanted a re-drop from that gnarly lie because his feet were still in the hazard. So clearly at that point already, as I believe Chamblee called it, he did not major in the rules of golf at SMU.
This was only the beginning of Brysons rules ignorance.
Second, arguing the fence interpretation is one thing, but he never uttered the word ‘provisional’ during the well mic’d scenario. I believe provisional is still part of this new gray-areas-era of the rules of golf (Don’t get me started with Rahms penalty On 16Sunday).
Actually I’m started. The tour decided the ball moved but could have easily used the naked eye/technology bs to forgive Rahm. As with DJ at the Us Open It helped that the penalty would not change the winner. But as I said when this rules change happened, controversy is even more possible now. If a ball moves it moves. It doesn’t matter how or by whom the evidence was gathered. Claims are different; those mean nothing. But how can you argue clear video evidence? You cannot.
Ditto on the video evidence regarding you know who.
Tom Edrington
Oh, stay tuned Baxter, we will deal with your guy Bryson shortly in the next feature.
baxter cepeda
What happened to the last Bryson commentary ? It seems the story has disappeared. The one about Bryson being a you know what.
Did someone take it off ?
baxter cepeda
Omg