‘It just comes out’: The Open’s greatest emoter has a lot on the line

It doesn’t take much to stand out in the buttoned-up world of elite professional golf. A gnarly beard will do it. As will ankle-baring joggers. And if you’re a greenkeeper in charge of an Open Championship venue who happens to resemble a Def Leppard roadie — ooh, boy!

Which brings us to the irresistible Marcel Siem, a German ranked No. 302 in the world.

The cult hero (Player Division) from the first half of this 149th Open Championship has a mane of dirty-blond hair that he neatly stores in bun on the back of his head. He’s not afraid to rock a white belt — woke golf-fashion police be damned. And here’s the kicker: he emotes! Fist pumps. Thumbs-ups. Waves. Smiles. Arm thrusts. Air punches. Two-finger salutes. Clapping at the galleries to thank for them for their support. Siem does it all.  

“He actually had a fist pump in his interview, which is the first time I’ve ever seen that,” Golf Channel analyst Justin Leonard noted on the Open telecast Friday. “He was fist-pumping about his fist-pumping.”

Siem’s always been this way. As he joked after his second round, he’s not “typical German.”

“When I do well, it just comes out,” he said.

This week at Royal St. George’s — where Siem is playing in his first major since the 2015 PGA Championship — Siem has done very well, carding a pair of three-under 67s that has him at six under for the championship, in a tie for sixth. Westy, Casey and Tommy may be the faves among the English fans his week, but Siem hasn’t lacked for cheers, either. You can’t help but root for the guy.

And not just because of his enthusiasm.

A year ago, Siem dropped out of the top 1,000 in the world. That’s what happens when you miss 30 cuts in 42 tries on the European Tour. He blamed a coaching change and an attempt to remodel his swing in the form of Dustin Johnson’s (rarely a wise idea). He lost his European Tour card. He lost his sponsors. He lost his confidence. He almost quit playing.

“I have to stay humble,” Siem said Friday. “I’m coming from nowhere.”

Siem’s poor form landed him on the European Tour’s developmental circuit, the Challenge Tour, where he has ground out starts, playing 14 consecutive tournaments through the Le Vaudreuil Challenge, in northern France, last week.

Playing in the Paris-area event proved to be fruitful. Siem posted a scorching second-round 62 that powered him to a one-stroke victory, his first title since 2014. With the win came a big perk: a berth at Royal St. George’s.

A late tee Thursday at the Open allowed Siem to catch up on some much-needed rest. But he said fatigue finally caught up to him in the second round. His legs, he said, felt like Jello through 10 holes, which he played in even par. But then the galleries jolted him. After pars on 11, 12 and 13, Siem birdied 14, 17 and 18 to sign for three under. With two rounds to play, he is five back of leader Louis Oosthuizen.

“It’s going to be huge now,” Siem said. “Going to be a lot of crowds and the pressure will be high. I will do my best to do the same I did last week.”

Will he deliver more birdies? Most likely. More fist bumps? Most assuredly.

Alan Bastable

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s executive editor, Bastable is responsible for the editorial direction and voice of one of the game’s most respected and highly trafficked news and service sites. He wears many hats — editing, writing, ideating, developing, daydreaming of one day breaking 80 — and feels privileged to work with such an insanely talented and hardworking group of writers, editors and producers. Before grabbing the reins at GOLF.com, he was the features editor at GOLF Magazine. A graduate of the University of Richmond and the Columbia School of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey with his wife and foursome of kids.