Photo courtesy of USGA/Darren Carroll
On Friday Winged Foot bit back.
One day after 21 players shot under par in the first round of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, the course came back and humbled the best golfers in the world, with only five players in the field shooting under par on the day.
The leader at the halfway point is Patrick Reed, the controversial young player that might have the best short game in golf. Reed sits at 4-under overall after an even-par round of 70.
Bryson DeChambeau had the low round of the day at a 2-under 68 and is one shot back at 3-under overall. Rafa Cabrera Bello, Harris English, and first round leader Justin Thomas sit at 2-under overall.
Tiger Woods (10-over) and Phil Mickelson (13-over) both missed the cut, one of the few times in their careers both missed the cut in a major.
Reed is a polarizing professional, having been accused of cheating in the past, as well as alienating teammates during the Ryder Cup. But make no mistake, Reed, who also has a Masters title in his resume, can flat out get it done when an iron is in his hand.
“I feel good. I feel ready to go out and put myself in position hopefully tomorrow to have a chance late on Sunday,” said Reed. “But I think that’s the biggest thing is I feel like the game is where it needs to be. I feel good. I just need to tighten a few things up here or there, but the short game is sharp, and when I play around a place like this, that’s what you need.”
Reed will be in the last group Saturday with DeChambeau and it should be a fun group to watch.
“It’s going to be good. I look forward to playing with him. I always enjoy playing with Bryson,” said Reed. “It’s kind of one of those things that we go out there, and I think around here it’s not really as much on who you’re playing with because you’re out there attacking the golf course. This golf course you have to think about every little thing off tee shots, iron shots, putts, everything.”
DeChambeau went out early and set the standard with a 2-under round of 68, leaving him 3-under for the tournament. On a day where almost all struggled, DeChambeau found his rhythm.
“I felt like a lot of things were working well for me. I was driving it well. My iron play was impeccable,” said DeChambeau. “When I got into trouble, wasn’t able to get out of it as well today as yesterday, but when I was in the fairway, I was able to attack and take advantage, and finished really well today.”
DeChambeau has been the power sensation since golf has resumed as he bulked up in the weight room. He came into the Open with the plan to power the ball as far as possible down the course, something usually not advisable with the Open rough.
When asked if a player can “impose their will on an Open course,” the cerebral DeChambeau came right back with answer you would expect.
“That’s a great question,” said DeChambeau. “That’s a question for the gods. That’s a question for God. I don’t know if you can — I mean, Tiger has been able to do something like that many times before, so I think there is something, but human scientific research does not say that there’s anything about that.”
Being able to battle and play under par on Friday when so many struggled, sends DeChambeau into the weekend feeling good.
“I feel great,” said DeChambeau. “Confidence is at an all-time high right now, driving it well, iron play is fantastic, wedging is getting better each and every day, and I’m putting it like I know I can. So very happy.”
Thomas was the first-round leader and at times on Friday it looked like the round was getting away from him. But as the day went on, he righted the ship and kept himself in contention.
“It’s just one of those days where things — some of the par putts could have gone in, or I could have chipped it a little bit closer,” said Thomas. “At the end of the day, I drove it so bad that over the course of 18 holes it’s going to catch up to me, and it did on those first ten.”
Cabrera Bello shot even par Friday and given what happened to the rest of the field it was gaining strokes.
“Well, clearly the wind has picked up significantly. That has made it really hard,” said Cabrera Bello. “I mean, this course, if you don’t find the fairways you’re playing — I don’t know, like the most difference that you can ever play. With the wind picking up, it definitely makes the fairways relatively smaller.”
English came in at even-par Friday as well, sliding under the radar, but at the end of the day stands just two shots off the lead.
“I feel like I did it today, got off to a really good start, had a couple birdies early on and kind of hunkered down and grinded on the way back,” said English. “I think maybe the last nine holes I made all pars, so very happy with it.”
By Dennis Miller