News

Lang's pre-round routine

July 10, 2010

OAKMONT, Pa. -- In the third installment of "pre-round routine," I followed Brittany Lang, who's currently just one shot off the lead. She's playing her first hole now, but read on if you'd like to know how she prepared for "moving day" at the U.S. Women's Open.

2:50: Gets to practice putting green. Uses just one ball and and practices 6-foot putts. She lines up every single putt.

3:00: Using two balls, she putts around the green, focusing mainly on 25-footers and and 6-footers, always lining up the shorter putts. (By the way, she sunk two 40-footers.)

3:09: Starts also practicing 10-footers nope, mixing them in with the longer and shorter putts.

3:19: Leaves the practice putting green and heads toward the short game area by the driving range.

3:22: Arrives at short game area. Chips a few, then hits 11 bunker shots.

3:28: Leaves short game area and heads for the range.

3:29: Stretches with her club to loosen up.

3:30: Hits her first ball, a half wedge shot. She continues to hit wedge shots, aimed at various targets, for longer than anyone I've seen.

3:38: Hits her first full iron shot and works her way through the irons in her bag.

3:45: Grabs a hybrid and hits five shots with it.

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3:48__: Switches her hybrid for a fairway wood.

3:52: Pulls out her driver and hits six big ones at various targets.

3:58: Leaves the practice range and heads to the sports medicine center.

4:01: Exits the sports medicine center.

4:07: Returns to the practice putting green, chats with her caddie (who's also her brother) but doesn't actually putt. Pettersen comes over and they share a lot of laughs.

4:20: Heads to the first tee (her 4:14 tee time was delayed to 4:30).

This is the first time I've noticed someone who doesn't putt right before her tee time. And she hit three times as many drives as Cristie Kerr. Some food for thought, perhaps.

-Ashley Mayo