The Scientist, the Showman and Amazing Grace. This sums up a highly entertaining day two of the LIV Golf blockbuster at Steyn City, where the popular hometown boys – the Southern Guards – are in contention in the team event.
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Power hitter Bryson DeChambeau is known in the golf world as the Scientist, a nickname reflecting his highly analytical approach to the game. The ball speed he generates when he smashes his drives is an astonishing 320km/h. But if he has a weakness, or maybe we should say, had a weakness, it’s been with his wedge play.
So he’s been experimenting, with the dedication of a research scientist, to up this aspect of his game. And, judging by his play on hole one in round two, it seems to be working as he spectacularly wedged into the hole for an eagle two.
He calls his lob wedge “King” in honour of Arnold Palmer, and the late, great American - had he still been around - would have been mighty proud of his young compatriot at Steyn City.
Up front overnight, DeChambeau shot 65 on Friday and leads on 14-under-par 128. The Masters is just two weeks away, and The Scientist is figuring out how he's going to come up trumps at Augusta. Judging by his Sten City form, he's looking pretty good.
BURMY THE SHOWMAN
The Showman on Friday at this superb golf course north of Johannesburg was undoubtedly Dean Burmester, who takes his place alongside Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in the Southern Guards line-up. “Burmy”, as he is known, playfully interacted with the tens of thousands of fans lining the fairways with his over-the-top, showman-like antics.
At the par-3 17th hole, dubbed the “Lion’s Den”, he donned a South African soccer top and then hit a dream tee-shot to two feet to set up a birdie. Burmy went ballistic, and so did the raucous fans. He went on to shoot a brilliant 64, the round of the day, and is very much in the hunt on 11-under-par.
And Amazing Grace is, of course, none other than Branden Grace, who signed for a very fine 66 to be on 12-under and in joint second place on 130.
Grace certainly knows how to go low. He once carded a 62 in the British Open to become the first player in this age-old Major to dip lower than 63. And in 2012, he shot 60 en route to winning the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. His 66 on Friday in front of the frenzied fans? "The best day of my golfing life!"