(08-14-2022, 09:44 PM)homebiscuit Wrote:

(08-14-2022, 09:28 PM)NYC4jags Wrote: Interesting finish. 

When Zalatoris' ball nestled between a rock and a fringe place I swear I saw Straka smirk a bit. 

In response I murmured "he thinks he's got this, watch him hit it in the water"

LOL

In the end it was his shot from the drop area (into the bunker) that killed his chance.

Straka had it. That young man learned a big lesson today. He'll never make that mistake again and I have no doubt he'll be hoisting a trophy next season, if not this one. He's a good golfer and reminds me of Els. 

Zalatoris made a wise decision picking up his ball. Had he attempted from that lie, he had the option of either not hitting it square or hard enough and having the ball rebound off the turf edge and into the water or smashing it and sending into the bunker with Straka, or even further. I have to hand it to him for keeping his cool and using his head.  It's counterintuitive to pick up a ball 15 feet from the hole and walk it back 90 yards.

I'm glad his caddie talked him out of it, and I was surprised it took him that long to make that decision.  It seemed pretty obvious to me that he could not possibly play that shot without his ball going back into the water.

If Zalatoris has indeed learned to putt better, as the commentators kept saying, he could be a real threat to win this whole thing.  He has to gather himself and get over this first win, though.

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