The golfer still shot bogey on the hole, despite the obstacle of being on the hospitality deck surrounded by fans.
View the original article to see embedded media.
MJ Daffue headed into the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday tied for second after finishing three under par on Thursday.
The South African had a great start to his second round, taking a strong three-stroke lead at six under par. However, Daffue struggled when approaching the 14th hole.
His ball landed on the hospitality deck, which is a carpeted area. He could’ve taken a penalty shot and moved his ball back on the course, but he didn’t want to add a stroke to his score. So, he gave the shot his best attempt.
With lots of fans surrounding him, Daffue hit his shot over the railing landing in the rough near the green. He ended up making bogey on the hole.
Fans cheered for Daffue’s save, even though he continued to struggle on the last few holes of his round.
Daffue finished with a 72, two over score on the day despite his early lead. He bogeyed Hole 15, and double-bogeyed Hole 18. After his round, he was tied for 14th.
“A crazy battle,” Daffue said, via USA Today Sports. “Obviously, I’m disappointed. But you expect at some stage during the week in the U.S. Open, the golf course is going to come and bite us.”
Despite his Friday struggles, Daffue will make the cut to play in the weekend, when he will have a chance to climb up the leaderboard again.
More Golf Coverage: