ORLANDO, Fla. – Back in 1932, at Wrigley Field, during Game 3 of the World Series, George Herman Ruth apparently called his shot, pointing to the middle of the field and hitting one of the most famous home run in basketball history.
Moving on so far, Bryson Aldrich DeChambeau, a modern-day golf version of the Sultan of Swat, had been trying to invoke his own image. For months he vowed to drive the sixth par-5 at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a pocket that required at least a 345-yard carry and a ton of confidence.
On Saturday, he finally delivered on his promise – sort of.
For two days, DeChambeau caught the line at the 555-yard hole, reporting the wind was just not right. He had tried twice in a similar wind during the practice cycle, coming up pretty short on both attempts. However, when he reached the sixth hole and felt the fan blowing down, DeChambeau decided to let him go – not at the green, but at a line that was still mentally aggressive around 70 a yard from the surface he planted.
“Let the big dog eat!” one fan shouted in the large gallery filled around the tee box.
“C’mon, wind! Gimme bragha! ”Yelled another.
Feeling the energy, DeChambeau stood up to the plate, gave him a strong lash and watched the ball float over the water. With the ball still in the air, DeChambeau raised both arms in the air and pointed to the skies.
That wasn’t the show he promised, but it was still very impressive.
Here are some of the numbers:
• Behavior: 347 yards
• Total distance: 370 yards
• Clubhead speed: 137 mph
• Ball speed: 196 mph
• Control feature: 1.43
• Launch angle: 11.9 degrees
• Apex: 124 feet
For the record: Those numbers are good enough to find the green, which could encourage DeChambeau to go all the way Sunday.
Now, some will argue that DeChambeau lost his green with his second sight, a pitch from the rough that ended just short of the surface he placed and left on the front bunker, but did it’s an easy birdie, which doesn’t always promise the special, complex hole.
Jordan Spieth, who played the first two rounds with DeChambeau, joked that the only reason he played Arnold Palmer Invitational this week was to watch DeChambeau go for him at No. 6.
“It’s a show. It’s fun. It was great to watch, ”said Spieth. “I shook Michael half a dozen times in the last two days, as it were, ‘Look at this. ‘”
That was before Saturday. No, he didn’t look like Ruth, but DeChambeau’s moon was worth the entry price.
And we still have one more round.