Around the wider world of golf: Sung Hyun Park won her first major at the US Women's Open on the LPGA; Trish Johnson won the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship on the LPGA's new Legends Tour; Scott McCarron successfully ran down Bernhard Langer to win the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship on the Champions Tour; Brice Garnett won the Utah Championship on the Web.com Tour; Johnny Ruiz won the Staal Foundation Open on the Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada; and Rafa Cabrera Bello shot 64 and won a playoff to take the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on the ET.
I'll be honest. I was watching the US Women's Open and just checking in periodically on the SENIOR PLAYERS and the John Deere. I was shocked when Bernhard Langer double-bogeyed the par-3 17th and Scott McCarron cruised past him to stop the four-peat. That kind of thing just never happens!
But I was almost as shocked when Bryson DeChambeau won after posting at 18-under, even though Patrick Rodgers was tied with him and still had two holes to play when I checked. Rodgers's 17th was a par-5 and a likely birdie, which would allow him to play safely to the middle of the 18th green and two-putt for his first title. I expected to check in again as Rodgers tapped in for the win.
Alas, it was not to be. A bogey on 17 and a long chip from behind the 18th (that nearly fell for a playoff) left Rodgers still waiting for his chance... and left DeChambeau choked up as he gave the winner's interview to CBS. The "Mad Scientist of the Tour" has taken a lot of grief for his unconventional approach to the game, and found vindication in the victory.
Oh yeah, and he grabbed the final spot in next week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale -- symbolic in its own way, as the last Open played there (2008) was won by another well-known mad scientist, Padraig Harrington. Like Harrington, Bryson's experimentation had sent his game down some dead-end streets... and like Harrington, his game now seems to be back on track. Just in time for a mad scientist's dream course.
Is there something about Royal Birkdale, or is it just coincidence? We'll find out next week.
In the meantime, no science is necessary to understand why Bryson has gotten his first Limerick Summary.
Some think he’s the king of weird scienceThe photo came from the tournament page at PGATOUR.com.
‘Cause Bryson does not think compliance
With tradition’s a must.
In his own plan he trusts
And this win validates his defiance.
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