Brooks, Bryson and Beers. Those are the three of the hot topics that came out of Day 2 here at Whistling Straits.
Bryson, Brooks, and Beers - The US Ryder Cup Verdict
On the first topic, Bryson took a chance at looking really silly by laying his putter down to show if his par putt on the first hole was inside the leather. Once evidently it was, the European's quickly looked like the silly ones there for making him putt it.
Related: "Classless" - Butch Harmon Slams DeChambeau For Gimme Gesture
Would you ask your buddies at your home club to putt out from inside the leather? The jokes on Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood on this one.
DeChambeau not only made the putt but glared back at Fleetwood and Hovland once he did, then walked off the green and got daps from a giggling Scottie Scheffler and his caddie Scott Maginnes.
Brooks Koepka’s cursing at the PGA rules officials when they told him he wouldn’t get relief from a lie in the thick rough near a sprinkler on 15 was a very bad look.
Related: Koepka - "If I Break My Wrist, This Is On F****** Both Of You"
On the one hand he had just come off a major wrist injury from hitting a tree root at the Tour Championship a couple weeks ago, so he was understandably reticent. However, using a curse word at someone who presides over the rules at your event is a joke. Brooks has to be better than that.
I didn’t see Justin Thomas chug that first tee beer until Saturday evening, but when you think about the situation it makes perfect sense. It was the crowd who threw it to him and Daniel Berger essentially saying ‘can you have fun with us too?’
Related - Watch: Justin Thomas And Daniel Berger Neck Beers At The Ryder Cup
And at that point, as the beers rolled out from the grandstands near the teebox on 1 both JT and Berger felt they had to give the crowd what they wanted. Isn’t the Ryder Cup that one event that’s miles different than the rest? Well, they just proved it again.
Closing shot
NBC broadcaster Roger Maltbie has covered fifteen Ryder Cups in his career. The veteran announcer spoke Saturday with Golf Monthly about Team USA and how he hasn’t seen them look this loose together since 2008 at Vallhalla for their 16.5 to 11.5 rout of Team Europe.
Especially seeing the likes of Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa together during practice days this week.
Though Europe trails massively 11-5, Maltbie sees a silver lining.
“I’m a big believer in momentum in the Ryder Cup, and if Europe can get some points early (Sunday) that could change the way the day plays out,” Maltbie said.
“But first, Padraig absolutely needs better play out of Rory McIlroy, he’s a crucial leader to this team and they are missing some energy from him.
Maltbie suggested Harrington front-load his picks today (Sunday) to give himself his best chance, and that essentially is what the captain has done.
