In front of the longest hole of the Country Club, the fourteenth of 616 yards, MJ Daffue found himself making an unexpected detour after his starting shot was deflected to the left and settled on the hospitality deck.
Still on the edge, the South African could have taken the opportunity of a drop ball, but instead lined up his 4-yard line on the mat, much to the delight of the crowd gathered to watch a few meters from distance.
With a tree, a concession grandstand and a flock of spectators on the driving line, the margins of error were stressful, but Daffue delivered with emphasis, throwing his effort through the gap.
If the shot wasn’t impressive enough yet, it fell right next to the raw green. However, an awkward chip and a lost putt made the 33-year-old forced to settle for a bogey.
Asked about his decision not to take a drop, Daffue admitted it was partly tactical and partly entertainment.
“He had a good angle. I thought he was going to the left of the tree and it was a good lie,” Daffue told Sky Sports. “If I drop it, it ‘s hard for me to get to the next level on the street.
“We’re here for entertainment, aren’t we? So I thought why not entertain them a little?”
“It was really a shot that suited my eyesight; I get much better when sometimes I have a hallway or I don’t have a goal and I have to find something in the background. It was my alley.”
“It’s an amazing feeling”
Ranked 296th in the world and making his first major league appearance, Daffue has been one of the most prominent names by surprise in the first two rounds in Brookline, both for his golf skills and his display.
An impressive three under 67 on Thursday saw the South African reach his second round in second place overall, and on Friday he temporarily topped the standings by three times to six less after a brilliant new striker.
Four birdies in the first seven holes helped put Daffue three below the turn, but a fall on the home stretch, culminating in a double bogey on the divuite, left him with a 72 of two for the round.
With one below the overall, Daffue seems sure to make the cut of 60 men to advance to the third round, but he can already reflect on a major debut and the ability to say a line “not many people can say.”
“To say you led the U.S. Open is an incredible feeling,” Daffue told reporters. “It simply came to our notice then.
“I don’t think my goal is to win this week. My goal is to be the best I can be, and if the best I can be and the best I can play is good enough for that, then I’ve achieved it. I wanted to get it. “