USA Network took the airwaves before most had eaten breakfast on Friday morning and painted the cinematic scene American fans have been dreamcasting for several years. Bryson DeChambeau, all steel and horsepower, strode up to the opening tee and launched a rocket toward the green. It was every bit a screaming-eagle-scored fantasy come to life for those who have circled Team USA’s chance to defend home soil at Bethpage after suffering bitter defeat in Rome two years ago at the hands of their cross-Atlantic counterparts.
And the broadcast did the moment justice, a well-produced bit of television caffeine to shock everyone into competition. Two shots later DeChambeau’s putt found the bottom of the cup and sent the partisan crowd even deeper into delirium. Between sunrise and sunset, though, Team Europe de-fanged the already tamed-down beast of New York’s most demanding state park and put themselves in great position for a rare triumph on what was supposed to be the most hostile of territory.
