Dustin Johnson: Breakout star or best available?
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. We may look back at Sunday’s ungainly conclusion of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, when U.S. Open-like calamity arrived four months early, as the beginning of the Dustin Johnson era.
We’ve seen Tiger Woods win ugly and then proclaim, “It’s good to get the W.”
Johnson won ugly (74 with a double and three bogeys) and said, “Got up-and-down to get the victory. Can’t beat that.”
At only 25, Johnson has won three times. He seems to have a huge upside. For the sake of the PGA Tour, let’s hope he keeps showing it. Because it would be very easy to view Sunday’s ugly action at beautiful Pebble as an indictment of the Tour without Tiger Woods proof that in the U.S. the game is, for now, rudderless.
Granted, we in the media usually want things to be neater and cleaner than they are in real life. Very rarely can you sum up a sport in one concise cover line, such as this Sports Illustrated summation in 1999: “David Duval is on fire.”
But it’s cause for pause when Johnson shoots 74 and wins without even having to go to sudden death, just as it was when Ben Crane yanked a two-foot putt on the 71st hole of the Farmers Insurance Open and won in regulation two weeks earlier.
These are not the types of mistakes one can make with Woods on the scene, but then Sunday at Pebble was no ordinary day, as a Biblical plague of banana peels seemed to descend on the par-5 14th hole. That’s where four guys vying for the title went a collective 13 over par three 9s (Alex Prugh, Bryce Molder and Paul Goydos, in that order) and a comparatively spiffy but still costly bogey 6 (David Duval).
Three 9s is a pretty decent poker hand or a leisurely workweek, but it’s not what you expect from the best golfers in the world.
“That’s the amateur’s shot,” a fan said as Molder’s lay-up second shot nestled into the rough right of the 14th fairway, because, of course, pros rarely lay up into trouble.
“No, it’s Molders,” the other fan said.
You could forgive the confusion. The amateurs and pros were playing the same game in more ways than one during Sunday’s five-hour-and-40-minute final round.
Pebble Beach has the tiniest greens on Tour, but we nonetheless witnessed some egregious mistakes. From the middle of the 11th fairway, after watching J.B. Holmes make bogey from behind the green, Goydos, too, found the back bunker and bogeyed.
Tour pros are usually great at identifying where you absolutely cannot hit the ball, and then avoiding that spot. On Sunday they seemed to be aiming for it, whether it was the back bunker on 11 or left of the green on 14, or over the cliff on nine.
Those sorts of mental mishaps once dogged Phil Mickelson, but after he won the Tour Championship and HSBC Champions to close out 2009, he came into this season riding a huge wave of confidence, especially in his newly revamped putting stroke.
He looked so good, in fact, that as the curtain went up on the PGA Tour this year, you could almost hear a voice intone, “Ladies and gentlemen, in tonight’s performance, the role usually played by Tiger Woods will be played by Phil Mickelson. Thank you.”
Alas, Mickelson did not seriously contend at the Farmers, the Northern Trust or the AT&T, and revealed that his putting woes had returned after carding a final-round 71 at Pebble (T8). Like Woods, he will not play the WGC-Accenture Match Play this week.
“They weren’t what I had hoped for,” Mickelson said of his first three weeks, in essence speaking for everyone with an interest in the Tour.
And so we are left with an assortment of 2010 winners who are somewhat random (Ryan Palmer, Bill Haas, Ben Crane) and somewhat not.
Geoff Ogilvy’s repeat victory at Kapalua gave us hope, but he disappeared to play overseas and take care of family obligations as he and his wife, Juli, await the birth of their third child. Steve Stricker, the top seed at the WGC-Accenture, claimed the No. 2 ranking with his victory at Riviera, but his climb back from the abyss is an old story even if it still makes him cry. How many times can we vote a man Comeback Player of the Year?
And so we’re left with Dustin Johnson, our best hope for the breakout star the game needs in Tiger’s absence. Johnson became the first player to go back-to-back at the AT&T since Mark O’Meara 20 years ago, and he is probably one bad round (his third-round 74 at Riviera) from winning in back-to-back weeks. He’s the first player since Woods to win in each of his first three seasons on Tour, and without Woods or Mickelson in the picture this week, the Tour would very much benefit from yet another Johnson triumph.
Could Johnson be a star? He could grow into it. The night before the AT&T began, he was brought onto a stage with fellow young phenom Rickie Fowler at a crowded party emceed by CBS golf mainstays Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo.
Although Fowler took to the spotlight with apparent ease, Johnson initially looked like he might be sick. But he rallied, giving Fowler some grief for his orange golf attire. (Johnson is from South Carolina, so orange means Florida.)
“I don’t like orange,” Johnson quipped.
It wasn’t much, but it was something, a bit of almost-trash talk for the partygoers to latch onto and laugh at. As much as Johnson’s titanic, 288-yard drive into the wind on 18 on Sunday, and his ensuing sand-save for birdie, it showed promise.
We like promise, and right now there’s a lot of it on Tour. Josh Teater (T5 at AT&T) is the fourth player to earn low-rookie honors in the season’s first five weeks.
On the global stage, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Johnson are jockeying for the title of Most Promising.
Johnson and Kaymer have already won this year, and if there’s one thing we like more than promise, it’s young winners, especially young American winners who remind us of Woods, Mickelson or Duval. It’s all about the narrative.
Supposing Johnson goes 6-0 in Tucson this week, here’s a suggested headline: “Dustin Johnson is on fire.”
Categories: golf putting Tags: Alex Prugh, Ben Crane, Bogey, Bogey's, Bryce Molder, Calamity, David Duval, Dustin Johnson, Fairway, Farmers Insurance, Foot Putt, Indictment, Ordinary Day, Paul Goydos, Pebble Beach, Pga Tour, Poker Hand, Summation, Tiger Woods, Workweek
Ace Group Classic: Couples Ahead By Three
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Fred Couples was in position for his first Champions Tour victory. He’ll have to hold on to the lead at the ACE Group Classic for at least 23 holes on Sunday to do it.
Couples sank a 48-foot putt from well off the green on No. 12 for eagle, then made a 12-footer for birdie on No. 13 to reach 9 under before second-round play was called due to darkness Saturday.
“You’ve got to keep birdieing holes,” said Couples, who is playing in his first full-field event on the tour. “It’s not like I can go out there and keep this lead and get in cruise control. You’ve got to keep plowing away.
“My goal is to win on this tour, and the sooner the better.”
Playing partner Dan Forsman was in second place, three shots back at 6 under. The two shared the first-round lead at 4 under after finishing their first rounds earlier Saturday.
“He was burning the hole the whole back nine … All of a sudden there, he caught fire,” Forsman said of Couples. “I guess we called time out and hope we can regroup (Sunday) and catch him.”
Couples is one of 38 golfers who must come back Sunday morning to complete their second rounds at The Quarry. The tournament was pushed back after high wind postponed the first round Friday afternoon.
When the first round ended early Saturday afternoon, Couples and Forsman both finished 4-under 68 to share the lead.
Bernhard Langer is the only one near the top of the leader board to have completed the second round. He’s shot 6-under 66 and is tied for third, four shots behind Couples, along with Mike Goodes, Scott Hoch, Tommy Armour III and Ronnie Black. Langer moved up the leaderboard with an eagle on No. 12 and a birdie on No. 17.
Paul Azinger, a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour and captain of the victorious 2008 Ryder Cup team, is making his Champions Tour debut at The Quarry, the tournament’s third site in three years. He was even par with three holes left.
The 50-year-old Couples is coming off a 37th-place tie last week in the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust Open at Riviera. He made two senior starts in Hawaii last month, teaming with Nick Price to finish third in the Champions Skins, then losing to Tom Watson by a stroke in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
After Couples rimmed out a birdie putt on No. 11, he was 30 feet off the front of the green on No. 12. He did not consider chipping it, because of the tight lie on the paspalum grass. He putted the ball up to the green, and it rolled the final 18 feet into the cup.
“I figured if I’m going to skin a chip shot, it’s going to check or do something crazy, so I just tried to putt it most of the times,” he said.
Golfers were scheduled to come back at 8 a.m. Sunday to finish their second rounds, with the final round tee times from 10:15 a.m.-12:25 p.m.
Categories: golf putting Tags: 2008 Ryder Cup, Ace Group, Bernhard Langer, Champions Tour, Classic Couples, Cruise Control, Foot Putt, Forsman, Fred Couples, Goodes, Naples Fla, Old Couples, Place Tie, Ryder Cup, Ryder Cup Team, Scott Hoch, Second Rounds, Tommy Armour, Tommy Armour Iii, Tour Victory
Three guys, Father, Son, and Grandfather, go out to play a round of golf.?
Just before the son is ready to tee off, this fine looking woman walks
up carrying her clubs. She says her partner didn’t show and asks if she can
join them.
The guys say sure, since she is a really beautiful woman.
The lady turns to the three of them and says, "I don’t care what the three
of you do,
cuss, smoke, chew, spit, fart or whatever. Just don’t try to coach me on my
game".
The guys say OK and ask if she would like to tee off first.
All eyes are on her ass as her skirt rides up when she bends over to place
the ball.
She then proceeds to knock the hell out of the ball right up the middle.
She just starts pounding these guys, parring every hole. The foursome get to
the 18th
and she has a 12 foot putt for par. She turns around and says,
"You guys have done a great job at not trying to coach me on my game.
I’ve never shot par before, and I’m going to ask your opinions on this putt.
Now if any of
your opinions help me make the putt, I will
give that guy a blow job he will never forget."
The guys think what a deal! The kid walks over, eyes up the putt for a couple of minutes, and finally says, "Lady, aim that putt six inches to the right of the hole.
The ball will break left 12 inches from the hole and go in the cup."
The father walks up and says, "Don’t listen to the youngster, aim 12 inches to the right and the ball will break left 2 feet from the hole and fall into the cup."
The Grandpa looks at both of them in disgust, walks over picking up the
ball, drops it into the cup, unzips his fly and says "That’s a Gimme."……..
It is so true that the older you get the wiser you get!
Gramps sure was the wise one here, LOL:))
Categories: putt putt golf games Tags: 12 Inches, Aim, Beautiful Woman, Blow Job, Coach, Couple Of Minutes, Disgust, Fly, Foot Putt, Foursome, game, Grandpa, Hell, par, Play Golf, Six Inches, Skirt, Three Guys, Wise One, Youngster
Funny Golf Expressions…?
Here are some:
An OJ Simpson – When you hit a bad shot and somehow get away with it.
A Bin Laden – When you hit a shot that’s driven out of bounds, never to be found again.
A Vinnie Jones – When you hit a shot and get a kick when you weren’t expecting it.
A Jamie Oliver – You really want to smack it but you can’t.
A Gerry Adams – A provisional.
A Calista Flockhart – When you hit a shot thin but it is still pretty.
A Saddam Hussein – When you hit from one bunker straight into another.
A Lawrence of Arabia – When you or a playing partner have been in the sand all game.
A David Beckham – When you choose the wrong club.
Ice cream on s**t – When you sink a 30 foot putt for an eight.
A snowman – When you score an 8 on a hole.
A condom – When you hit a shot that didn’t feel very good but it is safe.
A masturbation shot – When you hit a golf shot that is not the right way of doing it, but the end result was quite pleasing.
Add any you know.
How about adding these to your funny list …..
A Union Member – When you hit just one shot, but it takes three hours to get it done.
A Roger Clemens – You take an eight on a hole, record a five and tell your partners they are all liars.
A CNN – Your shot goes way left.
A FOX News – Your shot goes way right.
A Bill Clinton – You keep hitting our ball in somebody elses hole.
A Cubbie – You play golf for 80 some years and NEVER win.
A Paula Abdul – You play your round drunk.
Categories: golf putt games Tags: Calista Flockhart, Club Ice, Cnn, Cubbie, David Beckham, End Result, Foot Putt, Fox News, Gerry Adams, Golf Shot, Hole Record, Jamie Oliver, Lawrence Of Arabia, Liars, Oj Simpson, Paula Abdul, Roger Clemens, Snowman, Union Member, Vinnie Jones
I want a joke on ladies putting in golf?
Fastly I need a graceful joke on it for a formal party
Here’s a good one:
What’s the difference between a woman making a 15 foot putt and a man making a 15 foot putt?
Ans: In the clubhouse after the round, the man will describe the putt as a "slippery, downhill 30 footer with all kinds of break" and a woman will ask, ".. did I make a 9 or a 10 on that hole?"
Categories: golf putting Tags: Break, Clubhouse, Foot Putt, Footer, Formal Party, Joke, Ladies Golf, Woman
Izzo Golf Continuous Return Putting Mat
Golfers understand that while the 250-yard drive is an adrenaline rush, the 3-foot putt that tests your nerves matters just as much. One of the best ways to keep your putter from betraying you on the course is to get this Izzo Golf practice putting mat. This continuous return model uses a simple track that allows continuous and direct return of the ball with every shot, along with a 14 Stimpmeter speed mat that replicates conditions on a typical putting green. Sets up and stores easily; 8ft.L x 1ft.W
Categories: golf putting Tags: Adrenaline Rush, Foot Putt, Golf Mat, Golf Practice, golf putting, Golfers, Izzo Golf, Nerves, Putting Green, Putting Mat, Shopping, Stimpmeter, Yahoo
SWISH – Pleated Mini Golf Skort w/Invisible Seam Line Pockets (B)
The pleated Swish Golf Skort is flattering to flaunt on and off the course. Its design includes three front pleats with accent metal rivets for the stylish appeal. This golf skort has same material built in shorts for added comfort and less exposure. This design also has invisible front and back seam line pockets for functional use and is constructed with blended stretchy and breathable fabrics for comfort yet stylish appeal. Fabric Content: 62% Nylon / 33% Rayon / 5% Spandex. Green Tee Apparel provides contemporary and performance clothing for the fashionably inclined golfer. We tailor innovative designs for modern and active individuals by integrating athletic quality, functionality, and above all… style. Our apparel provides an alternative to traditional golf wear and is not bound by conventional fairway fashion. Our designs integrate practical features such as flushed pockets for extra balls when you need to take that mulligan, loops to attach your glove when the perfect touch is key to sinking a 40 foot putt, and tee holders so that you are always prepared to grip it and rip it. Green Tee Apparel understands that both comfort and confidence on the fairway contributes to mastering this game!
Categories: mini golf putt Tags: Accent, Breathable Fabrics, Fabric, Fairway, Foot Putt, Golf Skort, Golf Wear, Innovative Designs, Mini Golf, Mulligan, Perfect Touch, Performance Clothing, Pleats, Pockets, Rayon, Seam Line, Spandex, Stretchy, Stylish Appeal, Traditional Golf
How to hit a straight putt in golf?
I was on the course with my friends today and i had about a 6 foot putt that was dead straight. It was to win our friendly match and all my friends asked me how i missed it? I even admit it was dead straight. But how do i hit a dead straight putt. Im a 6 handicap and have a great long game and game around the green. Putting has always kept me back from being really good. btw im 17 so i still have alot to improve. But the one thing no one has taught me is how to hit a straight putt. How do i line up? What do i look at? Any thing will help. Thanks
You can still putt straight at the hole, and still miss. There are factors that is present within the last 3 feet of the hole that will play a role in the outcome.
The reverse donut…in which, the surrounding 6" around the hole itself will be elevated ever-so-slightly due to the constant pressure of those before you and yourself that has stepped up to the hole and taken the ball out of the hole…if the pin placement been the same throughout the week, expect such a condition to be present.
The things that work for me, is lining up the ball arrow with my target line…trust in my judgment and just provide a untempered putting swing…keeping the larger muscles in the hand & arms out of the equation.
If it is a straight putt as you say, even at 8" away, my stroke with the putter will follow through towards the path of the hole, no arc.
Categories: putt putt golf games Tags: 3 Feet, Amp, Arc, Arrow, Donut, Foot Putt, Friendly Match, Friends, game, Handicap, Judgment, Muscles, Pin Placement, Quot, Stroke, Swing, Target Line
Lower your Golf Score – Guaranteed – Master the Mundane
Master the Mundane. Say What?!! I’ll probably lose most of you at this point because the “big secret” is so boring that it couldn’t possibly take you from an 88 to a 75 golfer. Run for cover if you must, because after you read this article, the truth of it will dog you every time you are walking to the next tee box for the rest of your golf life (or until you accept it and act on it). I am assuming of course that you have at least a little “game” already. If you are just starting out in golf, most of this won’t make much sense to you until you get good enough to have a “bad day” on the course. If you want to reach the next level of scoring, read on — You have been warned!
Mastering the mundane is fundamental to success in any sport. In basketball, it’s the layup, baseball the bunt, football block, tackle and catch. In golf, it is the dreaded “Three Foot Putt”. You know the one. When you bury it to take a high dollar double press, it was a “5-footer”, but when you miss it, you would have won if it hadn’t been for that “16-incher” you missed on 18. Don’t panic! This is not a “How to make short putts” article. The focus of this piece is on the benefits of making the 3-footer every time. This one skill is so critical to your game that nothing else seems to matter until this piece is in place. I am the “A” player on our foursome and we are the reigning Base Champions (and there is some pretty stiff competition). I only mention this to make this point — I’m not very good. Our “C” and “D” players are both better golfers than I am. So why do I play “A”? Because I make 3-footers…always. During the latter stages of the playoffs (when the pressure mounts), we get to watch players with games that far out-class mine, fall to pieces because they have zero confidence in their short putting.
What I am talking about is developing a habit of making short putts. When you go to a Major Golf Tournament, what do you see Tiger and Phil etal. do when they first come out? They practice short putts. Why? Because they are easy, it calms the nerves, and putts are what is going to win the tournament when all is said and done. There are myriad techniques for making 3-footers. Some of the best are:
1. Pick a spot 8 – 10 inches in front of the ball and putt over it (hear it go in – never look up!).
2. Visualize putting to a dime instead of the hole. Say you have a right-to-left breaker; imagine a dime sitting on the front right edge of the hole and try to hit it.
3. (My personal favorite) Visualize an eight inch tube in front of your ball that you need to accelerate the ball through on its way to the bottom of the cup.
It really doesn’t matter what your technique is. What matters is your mindset when you stand over the putt. You must develop the ability to eliminate all else from your mind except negotiating the golf ball those few feet to the bottom of the cup. It is a prerequisite that you have the ability to make these putts with regularity. Devote the (BORING) time on the putting green knocking down 3-footers until you can make 30, 40, or 50 in a row. You need to have this muscle memory in place for the rest of the strategy to work. Once this is accomplished, the real magic can begin.
Keep a putter in your office and/or at home. It doesn’t have to be your “Billie Barue”. Any old cheapie will do, because what you are attempting to achieve is 100% mental. Don’t stand there and bang away at it for hours. That won’t do you any good. Your goal is to be able to stop what you are doing, and achieve 100% intense focus on your putting routine; under any circumstances, under any conditions, and at any given time. When things are hectic at work, pick up the putter, take a deep breath, and sink a 3-footer. If the kids are making you nuts or the telemarketers ruining your evening, pick up the putter, take a deep breath, and sink a 3-footer. YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE. NO DO OVERS! If you miss it, take a second to consider why. Chances are you didn’t clear your mind and focus on the task at hand. It is the act of stopping to figure out why you lost focus and missed the putt that will revolutionize your short game.
Pretty soon you will develop a habit of “immediate focus”. (I’m sure somebody else said that already but I like to tell myself I made it up). The putter and the entire process of relaxing, focusing, and draining that putt will become like a security blanket to you. What strikes fear into the hearts of your opponent on the course, will become your safety valve (your “happy place” according to Chubbs). No matter how badly things are going with your swing or short irons, that 3-footer will be like coming home to relax after a hard days work. Imagine never having to be “iced” by your opponent sinking a 12-footer (when you need to make a short one to tie). How many golfers do you know breath a huge sigh of relief when their chip shot leaves them a 3-footer for par? Trust me… it makes your opponent nuts.
The advantages of having ultimate confidence in your short putting game are too numerous to list but here are just a few:
1. You won’t have to spend time kicking yourself on the drive home for those 4 or 5 strokes you “wasted”.
2. You can make smarter choices on chips and sand shots knowing you can make a little longer par putt.
3. “I just need to get up and down for par” is no longer just a euphemism. It actually means something.
4. You will make more birdies because you don’t have to lag it for fear of the 3-foot “come-backer”.
5. Amazing thing…those 5 and 7 footers start looking much shorter than they did before?
7. You become immune to pressure. You’ve trained your mind to go on “autopilot” for short putts.
The list could go on and on. The point is that if you start thinking this way and practice “immediate focus”, you WILL reap the benefits in your golf game. You don’t even have to “believe” for it to work. Golf season is just around the corner and if you try it, about midway through this Summer, you will realize that you are a “putting machine”. Mark my words. Your golfing buds will resort to heckling you out of frustration, but that will just amp up your focus! Remember, the goal is to achieve 100% focus any time, any where, under any conditions. Give it a shot. What have you got to lose…besides 7 or 8 strokes?
Scott Barnes
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/lower-your-golf-score-guaranteed-master-the-mundane-103591.html
Categories: golf putt games Tags: Bad Day, Baseball, Basketball, Bunt, Fall To Pieces, Foot Putt, Footer, Footers, Foursome, golf life, Golf Score, Golf Tournament, Golfers, Habit, Latter Stages, Little Game, Next Level, Stiff Competition, Tiger, Zero Confidence