Whatever ones lingered about whether Bryson DeChambeau’s plan to bulk up and hit the ball as far as possible would hold up in the cauldron and nuance of Major championship golf have been answered. This week at Winged Foot, he killed nuance.
While the rest of the field succumbed to Winged Foot, Reed fought back. Which is how golf’s lone wolf was the only one howling after 36 holes, Reed’s temerity and fortitude rewarded with the halfway lead.
The first green has so much hustle and flow, the USGA specifically tells players that its handling it differently than the other 17th, maintaining it a slower speed so that the ridiculousness doesn’t become too sublime.
Since he began his US Open quest as a professional in 1992 at Pebble Beach – where he missed the cut – it’s only the fourth time that Mickelson will not be a part of the most compelling part of this show.
Only once the R&A decided to cancel the Open Championship, freeing up the September window for the USGA to hold the US Open, did it give Winged Foot a chance at remaining the host venue.
Lest you think this is a media-driven story or a narrative that will shadow the championship in perpetuity, know it’s one both sides – players and management – acknowledge.
