Bryson DeChambeau continues to be the best story in golf right now, with those stunning monster drives — like we saw twice on No. 6 at Bay Hill this past week — that are 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 put into place a rule that prevents DeChambeau from attempting — and probably succeeding at — something that would be awe-inspiring at this week’s Players Championship.
DeChambeau said after his Arnold Palmer Invitational win that he was thinking about taking a different approach on No. 18 at Sawgrass this week — instead of hitting down the fairway like any golfer, he would hit it left over water to a part of No. 9 to give himself a better angle. WHICH WOULD BLOW OUR MINDS AND IS BRILLIANT!
But the kibosh was put on that by the PGA Tour. From Golfweek:
Rules officials heard about DeChambeau’s latest gambit and nipped any thoughts of taking a unique route at 18 in the bud. Any shot coming to rest left of the white stakes on 18 will be determined to be out of bounds.
“In the interest of safety for spectators, volunteers and other personnel, the Players Championship Rules Committee has installed an internal out of bounds 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 purposes have occurred at The Open Championship (hole 9) in 2017, the 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii (hole 13 and hole 18), and most recently, the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational (hole 6).
To borrow a much-used phrase about Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, let Bryson cook.
Did you hear the sound of the crowd last week when he crushed it at No. 6? The social media buzz when he tees it up? That’s gold, Jerry, gold.
Drive: 377 yards.
Distance to the pin: 88 yards.@B_DeChambeau does it again at No. 6.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/HYSyDvQCMm— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 7, 2021
If there is a safety issue — and I’m certainly not an expert here! Maybe it’s impossible! — clear everyone on the No. 9 fairway out when he’s up and let him go at it. Putting a rule in place to prevent any shot at that attempt is just a bummer.
Anyway, this is an idea of what a successful shot to No. 9 then the 18th green would have looked like:
This is at the top of the hill left of 18 at 308 from the tee(back cut). 165 to middle of green. Optimal if you can drive it into a 12×12 patch of grass from 308. pic.twitter.com/42uV39zHaa
— Arron Oberholser (@ArronOberholser) March 8, 2021
However, if you pull it at all you risk hitting the path and or ending up in the 9th fairway, or even worse, in the right rough on 9 with a blind 2nd and in thick rough with the ball well above your feet. Risky, but only slightly more risky than the conventional route on 18🤣
— Arron Oberholser (@ArronOberholser) March 8, 2021
“You need to get it at least 340. If you don’t hit it 340, you’ll probably have to punch out.”
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 Bryson was planning to attempt. https://t.co/V9XYPZ7nOz
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 10, 2021
Alas.
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