Golf Digest Search Results

Media: Johnny Miller on Tiger's major putting woes

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:44:00 GMT

It's somewhat premature to analyze Tiger Woods' recent failures to win majors and how they might apply to this U.S. Open, but NBC's Johnny Miller nonetheless attempted to do so on Friday.

"It's the putting at the majors," Miller said. "For some reason he's not making the putts like he does at regular tour events. Maybe that's part of being his age. He's got a lot of wear and tear on the old tires. I don't know if that's it, but he's not making them. So far."

"Later in the career there's always a lot of scar tissue on that putter," Notah Begay said.

Miller could be right, of course, but when he was discussing Woods' ills, he was completing a round of even-par 70 that put him in a tie for 29th at the time. And as the day progressed, he eventually climbed into the top 20, with 36 holes left.

Blame it on Augusta

Martin Kaymer, a past winner of the PGA Championship and a former No. 1 in the World Ranking, decided to change his swing from a fade to a draw and has encountered a slump that has dropped him to No. 34.

Paul Azinger's theory? "That's always Augusta National influence," he said. "It's ruined more careers of guys trying to play well at Augusta, to learn how to hit it higher and learn how to draw it."

Dottie unplugged

ESPN's Dottie Pepper reported that the group of Nicolas Colsaerts, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson had been put on the clock, and that it affected their play. All three hit a ball in the hazard at the ninth hole.

"Dustin Johnson is headed back to the drop zone. Colsaerts...also is now headed back to the drop zone," she said. "I think the biggest part of what's all going on in this group right now is the fact that they're on the clock. All three of these guys are visibly flustered and it's not just from the poor shots they hit."

It's not a flagstick

Merion Golf Club does not have flags, as we all know. It has wicker baskets. So, what to call them, if they're not flagsticks. ESPN's Sean McDonough had the answer. "Very difficult hole location today," he said, "that wicker stick protected by the right front bunker."

Good call, Rog

When Colsaerts hit his tee shot at 14 what seemed so far right it was hard , Roger Maltbie on ESPN put an entertaining spin on the shot.

"That was a total bailout there," he said. "If this was roller derby he'd have put his hands on his hips and called off the jam in the middle of that swing."

Question of the day

Maltbie to USGA executive director Mike Davis: "Is this a long short course or a short long course? I can't figure it out."

Random question

Why does the broadcast media keep referring to Merion as a female, as in "she's holding her own"?

On Twitter

Joe Ogilvie (@ogilviej): "Someone asked me if the US Open was fun. My reply: 'yes, if you enjoy colonoscopies.'"

John Cook (@johncookgolf): "Congressional, long golf course, soft, record scores. Merion, short, soft, par might win. Hmmmm."

(Getty Images photo)

Follow @JohnStrege

Yes, some tour pros have handicaps (Phil's is +5.2)

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:00:00 GMT

By John Strege

Have you ever wondered what an elite tour player's handicap index might be? Phil Mickelson, a member at Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., is playing to a +5.2, according to the USGA's Golf Handicap and Information Network (ghin.com).

Mickelson, who designed the Lower Course at Whisper Rock, is one of several tour players who are members there, and their PGA Tour scores are posted.

The screenshot here shows every score that Mickelson has recorded on the PGA Tour back to the Northern Trust Open with the exception of the Masters. On Feb. 1, Mickelson's handicap was +7.2. It has fallen, because he broke 70 in only eight of 20 rounds, with a low of 67. The 79 he shot came in the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he missed the cut.

Whisper Rock's membership rolls also include Aaron Baddeley (+4.4, down from +6.2); Martin Kaymer (+4.6, down from +5.8); Kevin Streelman (+5.3, down from +6.2); Paul Casey (+3.9, down from +4.6); Billy Mayfair (+3.7, down from +5.2); Chez Reavie (+4.5 from +5.4); and Geoff Ogilvy (+4.2 from +6.2).

Mickelson's brother Tim, the golf coach at Arizona State, also is a member there and carries a handicap of +3.7, down from +4.4. Phil's caddie Jim Mackay, better known as Bones, also is a member and has a handicap of 3.1, down from 1.9.

Follow @JohnStrege

WGC Match Play: Ian Poulter continues his match-play dominance

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 00:50:00 GMT

By Alex Myers

Here's a look at what transpired on Friday at Dove Mountain and what we can look forward to on Saturday:

Revelation of the day -- Ian Poulter is a match-play god:
Does this guy EVER lose in this format? The Ryder Cup hero's only PGA Tour win came at this event in 2010. That means that somehow he was beaten in each of the last two years, but we wouldn't bet against him. While this format makes predicting a winner even harder than usual, the Englishman has emerged as the clear favorite heading into the weekend.

"Nice try, Bo. Who's next?" (Photo: Getty Images)

"That's soooo match play" moment of the day -- Bubba Watson and Jim Furyk: The match looked all but over when Watson, 1 up, stuck his approach on No. 18 to about three feet. But Furyk answered with a great shot of his own and when "the Grinder" made his putt and Watson missed, the two went to extra holes. Watson wound up winning on the 22nd hole, but only after putting himself through some unnecessary stress.

Weirdest Day -- Rickie Fowler and Francesco Molinari:
Thanks to late tee times and a rare snow storm, these guys both managed to make it to Day 3 of the event without winning a single match. They showed up to the course on Friday to play a combined six holes before bowing out, but we don't feel too badly for them. The $46,000 for simply competing in the tournament is a nice parting gift.

Shot of the Day -- Scott Piercy:
The 34-year-old holed his approach from 228 yards on the fifth hole to go 4 up in his match against the 2011 champ, Luke Donald. Piercy didn't stop, shooting six under on the front nine and winning 7 and 6 -- the most lopsided victory of the tournament. There's a scientific term for what the former No. 1 player in the world ran into: a buzzsaw.

Saturday's sneaky-good best match of the day -- Matt Kuchar vs. Nicolas Colsaerts:
The long-hitting Belgium became a household name during the Ryder Cup when he made eight birdies and an eagle on his own ball in a match against Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood. He'll need to showcase some of that firepower vs. Kuchar, who has an 11-3 record in this event and has been ousted by the eventual champ in each of the past two years.

Saturday's best chance for an international incident -- Hunter Mahan vs. Martin Kaymer:
It seems impossible for Mahan to look at his German opponent and not begrudge him for sinking the putt that won Europe the Ryder Cup this past fall. If Kaymer really wanted to get under Mahan's skin -- and that might be a good idea considering he's won eight straight matches in this event -- he'd show up to the first tee decked out in Ryder Cup gear.

Follow @AlexMyers3

Golf Lessons of 2012

Peter Morrice and Alex Myers — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Fifteen lessons from the game's highest level in 2012 that can help your game.

Kaymer's Journey May Offer A Lesson To Disappointed U.S. Fans

Jaime Diaz — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT

By embarking on a journey to add a draw to his arsenal, Kaymer lost his consistency and came to be considered a weak link on the European squad.

How They Hit That: Ryder Cuppers from the Fairway Bunker

Roger Schiffman — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:59:00 GMT

Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key...

Why Dustin Johnson won't have to worry about bunkers at the PGA

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Unfortunately for Martin Kaymer, the 2010 PGA Championship will be remembered more for how Dustin Johnson lost than how the German won. It was Johnson who unwittingly grounded his club in one of Whistling Straits' 967 bunkers on the final hole of regulation to receive a two-stroke penalty and miss out on a playoff.

When the year's fourth major returns to another Pete Dye course this year, we won't have to worry about the same thing happening.

While Kiawah Island's Ocean Course, site of the 1991 Ryder Cup, has its share of hazards one comes to expect from a Dye design, its sandy areas don't play as bunkers in the traditional sense. From the course's website:

"The course's second line of defense lie within the uniqueness of our sand areas. At The Ocean Course, we have absolutely no 'bunkers.' . . . The Ocean Course features what few other golf courses anywhere in the U.S. feature, the "transition area'. The rule book defines these areas to be played 'through the green,' simply meaning that typical sand trap rules do not apply."

As a result, when players find the sand, they will be allowed to ground their club, take practice swings and even move lose impediments. The local rule is in place due to different debris that inhabits these areas on the windswept course. With the tide also playing a role, transition areas -- more commonly referred to as waste bunkers -- vary from hole to hole, making it only fair players can test the surface before playing a shot from one.

Which leads us back to 2010. Unfortunately for Johnson(watch a video here), the rule in place was the opposite at Whistling Straits that week, with every inch of sand, even those areas outside the ropes where the fans had walked, playing as a traditional bunker. This year, that won't be the case and Kiawah's local rule will undoubtedly be a big talking point. We can think of one golfer who will probably get sick of hearing about it pretty fast.

-- Alex Myers
Follow @AlexMyers3

In Olympic, Davis finds the beauty in the beast

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 03:00:00 GMT

By Ron Sirak, Senior Writer, Golf World
Follow on Twitter: @RonSirak

SAN FRANCISCO -- Even before the final round is played Sunday, a winner has emerged in this U.S. Open. The Olympic Club has made a strong case this week that it belongs in the group right behind Oakmont as one of the most difficult -- and best -- golf courses in the United States.

Playing as sort of a cross between Pinehurst No. 2 and the Old Course at St. Andrews, with balls bouncing willy-nilly and chasing into runoff areas or into deep, gnarly rough, this gem in view of the Pacific Ocean has been masterfully maneuvered by USGA executive director Mike Davis to provide a challenging but fair test where par is pure.

A view of the 18th green from the gallery at Olympic Club. Photo by: David Cannon/Getty Images

After 54 holes, only Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk among the 156 players who began the week were under par -- and just barely at one under. And imagine if there had been any significant wind? The first six holes at Olympic Club -- probably the most challenging opening half-dozen holes on any golf course on the planet -- played a combined 951 strokes over par through the first three rounds.

Back in 1999, John Philp, the mad man of Carnoustie, responded to complaints from players about the course's difficulty by saying: "Hogan would have figured it out."

And that is what Olympic Club offers -- it can be figured out, if you are playing really well. When players at the 1999 Open Championship complained early in the week that scores were too high, Philp responded by saying: "Par is an arbitrary number. If it takes 290 to win, shoot 290." And that is exactly what the winning score was at Carnoustie

Related: 10 Ways to win at Olympic

Davies has sort of been John Philp with a warm and fuzzy side since taking over course setup duties for the USGA in 2005. He has yet to whiff, although he has frequently taken conditions to the very edge, making it extremely difficult to get the ball close to the hole. Players constantly fear that one day he will lose control of a golf course, and that fear is part of the mind game Davis plays with them.

"Today I felt the course played probably the fairest of the last couple of days," Ernie Els, a two-time U.S. Open winner, said after a 68 got him to two-over par, three behind McDowell and Furyk. "I felt it was a bit more moisture in there and the flag positions were fine; and if you played proper golf today you could shoot under par."

That is exactly the point. There is a reward at Olympic Club if a player has the patience to avoid taking risks at the wrong time. "Today it was playable," Els said. " Tomorrow if it's really firm, you won't see a score under par. The course is really difficult. So we'll see." One of those who couldn't handle Olympic Club on Saturday was Tiger Woods, who pretty much played his way out of contention with a 75.

Davis, meanwhile, continued to show his imagination and whimsy in the course setup. The third hole, a par 3, played at 256 yards Saturday while No. 7, a par 4, measured 268 yards. The par-3 15th was only 107 and was followed by the par-5 16th,which at 671 yards is the longest hole in U.S. Open history.

Water was applied to all greens overnight and more was added Saturday morning in an attempt to get to the same firmness as the first two rounds. The greens settled into a speed in the mid-12s on the Stimpmeter.

"I really played the golf course the way it's supposed to be played or meant to be played," said Martin Kaymer, who made six birdies on his way to a 69 that got him to four over par. "[I hit] cuts into certain holes and then high draws into some greens." That's what Olympic Club is all about -- if it is to be had, you have to hit the right shots.

There have been some complaints, especially about the closely mowed run-off areas on No. 17 and the fact No. 16, when it was tipped out at 671 yards for the third round, had only 37 percent of the field hitting the green in regulation -- unheard of for a par-5 hole. Still, the overwhelming sentiment is that the setup has so far been fair.

"If you're hitting the ball well, you can give yourself a few chances and I've been hitting the ball well," Lee Westwood said after a 67 got him to two-over par. "I played a pretty soft golf course last week and after the first hole missing it short side and getting a big bounce right, it was a bit of an eye-opener. So I snapped into U.S. Open mode quickly that, 'Oh, yeah, short siding yourself is not good at the U.S. Open.' I realized that very fast."

That is part if the challenge of the U.S. Open: Can you adjust to the changing conditions? So far, Davis has been able to find the genius in the Olympic Club. And from the looks of the leader board -- five former U.S. Open champions among the top 14 after 54 holes -- both Davis and the Olympic Club have provided a true major championship test.

Thursday stats: First time in first

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:43:00 GMT

(Hideki Matsuyama is attempting to become the first amateur to make the cut at consecutive Masters since 1999. Photo by David Cannon / Getty Images)

Seven notable first-round Masters stats from Golf World contributing writer Brett Avery, who compiles the Rank and File statistical sections for the magazine's major championship coverage.

1. Leader Lee Westwood, ranked No. 3 in the world, matched his career-best score in the first round of a major championship with a 67. The first two times he opened with that number, at the 2010 Masters and 2010 Open Championship (St. Andrews), Westwood posted his only solo second-place finishes. He went into the day with a career first-round average of 72.44 in majors and 74.0 at Augusta National. The score gave him a first-round lead for the first time in 56 major starts.

Kaymer takes steps toward solving his Augusta hex

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:14:00 GMT

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A year ago at Augusta National, Martin Kaymer was dazed and confused. For the fourth time in four tries, the German native missed the cut at the Masters, frustratingly telling reporters "I think that I don't really know how to play the golf course."

Twelve months later, the 27-year-old former PGA champion believes he's close to solving the problem, having incorporated swing changes that help him work the ball right to left off the tee. An opening-round 72 might not seem all that outstanding, but Kaymer, whose stroke average in his previous eight competitive rounds at Augusta National is a painful 74.25, walked away encouraged.

"Starting the week, I knew I was better prepared swing wise," Kaymer said. "Obviously it helps mentally as well if you know you can hit any golf shot."