Just playing through: Golfer hits shot from hospitality deck at US Open

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Golfer MJ Daffue had the perfect lie, so he decided to play through. He wound up hitting a spectacular shot during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday.

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The 33-year-old from South Africa was leading the tournament by two shots when his drive at the par-5 14th hole at The Country Club settled on the deck of a hospitality area that bordered the left side of the fairway, Golf Digest reported.

Rather than take a drop, Daffue decided to play the ball.

“I’m coming right over you, sir,” Daffue said as he surveyed his unusual shot attempt at the 616-yard hole. Daffue had to navigate a tree, the concession stand, and a crowd of spectators. He also had to contend with the floor of the hospitality deck.

Daffue used a 4-wood off the fake turf and connected solidly, sending the ball 284 yards uphill into the rough surrounding the green.

“I had an option to drop it, but it would have been in the thick rough,” Daffue told The Golf Channel after his round. “I don’t think from there I would have been able to get it onto the second fairway, and I didn’t want to hit a 7-iron to a blind target, but I have a 4-wood in the bag, and the lie on it is so good on the hospitality.”

That was the highlight of Daffue’s round. He botched his chip shot and then chipped the ball 9 feet past the hole, Golf Digest reported.

He missed his par putt and made bogey-6 but still held a one-shot lead. But he slumped over his final five holes, finishing with a double-bogey at No. 18 to end his round at 2-over-par 72. That dropped him into a tie for 17th place heading into Saturday’s third round.

Daffue said he spurned the drop at No. 14 because the shot “just suited my eye.”

“I had a good angle. I figured I was going to go left of the tree and it was a good lie,” Daffue told Sky Sports. “If I drop it I had a hard time getting to the next level on the fairway.

“We’re here for entertainment right? So I figured why not entertain them a little bit?”

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