‘It just comes out’: The Open’s greatest emoter has a lot on the line
Marcel Siem, professional emoter.
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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.
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“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.
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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.
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