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Nick Watney: Hitting Short Irons (Video)

GolfDigest.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Five-time PGA Tour winner, Nick Watney, on how to control your short irons and swing with better rhythm.

Clean Up From 125 Yards And In

Nick Watney — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Keep your swing short and in sync.

June 2013 Table of Contents

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

What's In My Bag: Nick Watney

Nick Watney with Ron Kaspriske — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Nick Watney is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, including a victory at the 2012 Barclays. From driver to putter, find out what Nick Watney carries in his bag.

Inside the numbers: Will these PGA Tour pros keep it up?

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:36:00 GMT

By Alex Myers

The PGA Tour is still so young, most people aren't even aware it's started. Still, with the first five tournaments of 2013 in the books -- the last two of which were won by arguably the sport's two biggest names -- there's been plenty of golf to analyze. Here we present three stats that jump out so far, and take a stab at whether or not they can hold up as the year goes on:

Player: Russell Henley
Stat: 1.574 strokes gained/putting (1st)
Will he keep it up? Yes. Well, not to the number itself, but to Henley continuing to putt well. Since strokes gained putting became an official stat, the season-ending leaders have been Luke Donald (.844 in 2011) and Brandt Snedeker (.860 in 2012). Henley can really roll it, but a 1.574 seems a bit high, unless the rookie has some sort of magic putter. It did seem that way, though, as the University of Georgia product had seven one putts on the final nine holes of his Sony Open win, including pouring in birdies on the last four holes. Following that performance, his caddie, Todd Gjesvold, called Henley the "best putter I've ever seen." OK, so that could be a little kissing up to the boss, but you get the point.

Player: Nick Watney
Stat: 80.3% greens in regulation (3rd)
Will he keep it up? No. Other than in 2008, when he was 16th at 68.23%, Watney hasn't finished better than 30th in this category. The past two years, he's been consistent, but slightly better than mediocre, finishing 54th in both 2011 and 2012. Then again, he did switch equipment companies in the offseason, so perhaps his new Nike clubs are really making a difference. If he keeps this up, the Swoosh might have to shoot some new commercials.

The Week In Golf: Phil, DJ, Pebble, and... Kate Upton?

Player: Charles Howell III
Stat: 69.114 scoring average (1st)
Will he keep it up? The jury is still out. A lot has been expected from CH3 since he burst onto the scene more than a decade ago. While he's had a very solid career with nearly $25 million in on-course earnings, he hasn't fully delivered on the promise he showed as an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State. Shortly after, he won the 2002 Michelob Championship to highlight a year in which he finished ninth on the PGA Tour's money list, but he's added just one win since (2007 Northern Trust Open). Maybe 2013 will finally be the breakout year. Howell already has a playoff loss to Brian Gay at the Humana, a T-3 at the Sony and a T-9 at Torrey Pines. Keep in mind that at 33, he's the same age Phil Mickelson was when people were still wondering if he'd ever take his game to the next level.

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Players making major changes

Mike Stachura — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:25:00 GMT

By E. Michael JohnsonDecember 31st was "Black Monday" for a number of NFL coaches and it set the "coaching carousel" in full swing. The following day, however, a carousel of a different kind was set in...

Nick Watney: My Putting Drill

GolfDigest.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Video: Nick Watney, five-time winner on the PGA Tour, shares his favorite drill for holing more putts.

4 Key Shots Around The Green...And How To Drill The Putt

Nick Watney — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Nick Watney is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour. Here are his tips to get up and down from anywhere.

Trending: Five other notable Ryder Cup snubs

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:57:00 GMT

By Derek Evers

Today, Davis Love III announced his captain's picks for the four remaining spots on the 2012 American Ryder Cup team, rounding out the squad with Brandt Snedeker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker. While much will be made of the 12 golfers who will be representing the United States at Medinah CC, today officially marks the start of the second-guessing of the names left off of the captain's list. Many will point to notables like Rickie Fowler and Nick Watney as those overlooked by Love, but as any Ryder Cup veteran will tell you, it's as much about match-ups and intangibles as it is a player's performance. With that in mind, here are five golfers I think would have added some much-needed charisma to the U.S. squad.

John Daly: While much is made of his off-the-course antics, Daly has quietly put together a pretty decent 2012. With four top-20 finishes, including his first top-5 since 2005, why not play the hot-ish hand? And just think of the distracting impact his pants could have on the course. If America is going to put up a fight, I want a Hooters-eating, beer-drinking, home-schooling, badass in my corner.

Bill Clinton: He may not be the best presidential golfer, but he'll talk his way into making you think he is. It's that mental edge that the Americans need to overcome a European squad that boasts three of the top four players in the world. And all of the women and McDonald's wrappers lining the greens will undoubtedly get under the skin of the notoriously tidy Euros.

Beau Hossler: With a youth movement led by World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, many believe the Europeans have a decided advantage, so why not start grooming some of the American prospects early on? The future is bright for young Hossler, who at one point was atop the leader board during last June's U.S. Open, but I think it's imperative we get the hazing rituals out of the way before he turns 18 so as not to stunt his growth as a player. Besides, no one wants to see Jason Dufner or Keegan Bradley take part in the Elephant Walk or Boob Ranking anyway.

Bill Gates: Despite some rather underwhelming scores, the Augusta Member -- and second-richest man in the world -- could bribe a win out of at least two of the matches he plays in. That could provide a huge advantage for Captain Love should a momentum swing be needed.

Bill Murray: Rounding out my three-Bills selection, the pro-am icon is overdue for some real action in a tournament. Murray could use his chumming with fans as a tactical maneuver to slow down play, while his antics on the course are sure to aggravate whomever he plays against. And like his movie career, he'll gladly play the lesser, more-compelling role of the 12th man picked -- he may not play his best golf, but critics are sure to be impressed he turned down a higher-profile match, giving the Americans their first-ever Oscar nomination. When the European team points out this does nothing for the actual match, we'll remind them we can always send Chevy Chase in 2014, thus resulting in the first ever intentional forfeit.

Other notables who just missed out my list of other notable Ryder Cup snubs: Willie Nelson, the ghost of Bob Hope, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jordan, and Hunter Mahan.

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(Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

And the captain's picks are...not surprising

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:39:00 GMT

By John Strege

It is an odd morning, this biennial exercise, the announcement of the U.S. Ryder Cup captain's picks. We wait breathlessly for...for what? To learn that Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker are on the U.S. Ryder Cup team for the eighth- and third-straight time respectively?

There were no surprises, even the choices of Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker to round out Davis Love III's four captain's picks.

"Everyone assume it's Furyk, Strick, DJ and Sneds?" Joe Ogilvie asked on Twitter in advance of the announcement.

Photo by Getty Images.

On Monday night, Steve Flesch posted that, "DL3's picks are no-brainers. Stricker, Furyk, Snedeker, and Johnson. Consistency, experience, clutch putting, and fearless power."

Yet even when it apparently is so obvious, it is still the most thankless part of the job for the captain, who is certain to disappoint more players than he pleases, while exposing himself to criticism over that which ultimately he has no control: Who will be playing well three weeks hence?

"I've been anxiously awaiting this day I'll be glad when this day is done," Love said at the PGA of America's news conference in New York City.

Those left out include Hunter Mahan, who has won twice this year and at 19th is higher in the world ranking than either Mickelson (22nd) or Furyk (30th), both of whom are on the team. But Mahan has had only one top-10 finish since winning the Shell Houston Open on April 1.

Also excluded were Nick Watney, who won the Barclays two weeks ago to salvage an otherwise forgettable season, and Rickie Fowler, who hasn't finished in the top 10 since the end of May.

This does not leave much room for criticism this time around. One might have argued against the inclusion of Furyk, notwithstanding his having played on the last 14 U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. Furyk's Ryder Cup record is dismal (8-15-4), though he was 5-0 at the Presidents Cup a year ago. But he also has demonstrated a propensity for final-round collapses this year, three times a 54-hole leader without a victory.

Love chose him for his experience and the fact that he's "one of the most consistent players on tour and one of the most respected players on tour."

Stricker, meanwhile, makes sense on a variety of levels, among them that "Steve makes Tiger feel comfortable," Love said. In the last Ryder Cup, the team of Woods and Stricker went 3-0. "Tiger-Stricker's worked pretty well...I wouldn't want to play Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods for sure," Love said. Stricker also remains one of the stronger players in the world and one of its best putters.

Johnson and Snedeker weren't long shots, either. Both have played consistently well all season. Johnson, Love said, "is the best athlete on the team, perfect for Medinah," and Snedeker "fits the role of the one thing I've been saying a lot, that we need hot putters. There hasn't been a hotter putter on the course since the British Open."

So the news on Tuesday was typically anticlimactic. Fortunately, the Ryder Cup itself seldom is. Now we can dispense with the hype that the PGA of America stretches to nearly two years and get on with the main event.

"Now it starts," Love said. "Now we get to go play golf."

Follow @JohnStrege