04 December 2021: The year felt baked for Bryson DeChambeau when he was 4&3 by Brooks Koepka in a one sided contest when the duo went head to head in The Match. The defeat though seems to have stoked the beefy American golf scientist. On Friday, Bryson turned out fully keyed up and ready for battle. Despite a late double bogey, Bryson’s run of five birdies in six holes, helped him to an eight under 64. He reaches the weekend at 11-under, just one stroke ahead of Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa.
Koepka is as eager as ever, not only to nail his much touted rival, but also try and find his best game as he continues his quest for consistency. Koepka showed his intensity with a brilliant twelve footer for birdie on the 18th to shoot 67.
Morikawa was engaged to his longtime friend Katherine Zhu on Tuesday, and the week could turn out to be the perfect ending to another stellar season. A win in Bahamas will move Morikawa to the top of the world rankings.
But it was Bryson that could have been sitting pretty already. He had an eagle opportunity on the 15th, where his long putt did not catch enough of a break right to left. And a wayward drive on the 16th cost him two strokes right there. As it is, he will go into the weekend knowing that he has the course figured in his active head, with an opportunity to contend for not only the million dollar cheque on Sunday, but also honours in an elite field of top golfers.
Bryson will particularly like how he responded to a painful double on the 16th where he sailed into the bushes off the tee. He reset quickly enough to fire at the flag on the par-3 17th hole and regain one of the two strokes lost at the previous hole.
Morikawa made a bogey on the par-3 twelfth, quickly undoing the gains he acquired a hole earlier. But he bounced back in real style – firing away consecutive birdies at 13 & 14 before taking advantage of the benign par-5 15th hole to jump into the conversation at 11-under. Despite a bogey at the troubling 18th, Morikawa did enough to secure a 66 and a spot on the table with Finau and Koepka as the event heads into a promising weekend.
There were just two birdies all day at the tricky 18th, protected by wind, water and a patch of sand. Finau matched the 66 by Morikawa with a birdie putt from 15 feet. Daniel Berger made the other birdie on 18.
Berger was among a three way tie for the lead at the end of the first round. All three men slipped down the order. Berger is in 5th at 9-under, with Rory McIlroy, 7-under, sliding seven spots with an insipid 71 in the second round. Abraham Ancer was worse off at 5-under after a 73.
Leading Scores
DeChambeau -11
Finau, Koepka, Morikawa -10
Berger -9
Burns, Hatton -8
Hovland, McIIroy, Reed -7
