Bryson DeChambeau continues to be the best story in golf right now, with those superb monster drives – as we saw twice on No. 6 at Bay Hill last week – obliterating course design.
And it’s the best, even with critics who disagree. The buzz is good for the game.
So it pains me to see that the PGA Tour has a rule in place that prevents DeChambeau from attempting — and likely succeeding — at something that would be impressive at this week’s Players Championship.
DeChambeau said after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational that he was considering taking a different approach on the No. 18 at Sawgrass this week – instead of hitting the fairway like any golfer, he would hit it left at above water to part of #9. to give yourself a better angle. WHICH WOULD CUT OUR MIND AND IS AWESOME!
But the kibosh was put on it by the PGA Tour. From golf week:
Rules officials heard about DeChambeau’s latest scheme and nipped any thought of taking a single route at 18 in the bud. Any shot that comes to rest to the left of the white stakes on 18 will be determined to be out of bounds.
“In the interest of the safety of spectators, volunteers and other staff, the Players Championship Rules Committee has installed an internal out of bounds to the left of the lake for play on hole 18,” the Tour said in a statement.
The Tour noted that similar instances of internal out of bounds for safety reasons occurred at The Open Championship (hole 9) in 2017, the 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii (hole 13 and hole 18) and, more recently, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2021. (hole 6).
To borrow a much-used phrase about Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, let Bryson cook.
Did you hear the crowd noise last week when he crushed it at No 6? The buzz on social networks when he does? It’s gold, Jerry, gold.
Course: 377 meters.
Distance to pin: 88 meters.@B_DeChambeau start again at #6.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/HYSyDvQCMm— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 7, 2021
If there’s a security issue — and I’m certainly not an expert here! It may not be possible! – clear everyone on the #9 fairway when he’s up and let him go. Putting a rule in place to prevent any shots on this attempt is just a bummer.
Anyway, here’s an idea of what a successful shot to the #9 and then the 18th green would have looked like:
It’s at the top of the hill to the left of 18-308 from the tee (back cut). 165 in the middle of the green. Optimal if you can drive it in a patch of 12×12 grass from 308. pic.twitter.com/42uV39zHaa
— Arron Oberholser (@ArronOberholser) March 8, 2021
However, if you shoot it at all, you risk hitting the path and/or ending up in the 9th fairway, or even worse, in the rough right on 9 with a blind 2nd and in a thick rough with the ball well in the middle. above your feet. Risky, but only slightly more risky than the conventional course of 18🤣
— Arron Oberholser (@ArronOberholser) March 8, 2021
“You need to get it at least 340. If you don’t get it to 340, you’ll probably have to hit.”
Jeevan Sihota is just a teenager, but he’s the only person who knows what it’s like to take the unconventional line on No. 18 that Bryson was planning on trying. https://t.co/V9XYPZ7nOz
—GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 10, 2021
Alas.
