Tour Life
How does your post-round routine compare with a tour pro’s?
After your last putt drops on the 18th, it’s possible the rest of your day proceeds exactly like a tour pro’s—from the 1970s, that is. Some sequence of burger, shower, cocktail to cap a long walk in the sun. Maybe a few pulls on a heater with deep thoughts about how you could do better tomorrow. Or is your post-round routine closer to the athletic discipline and professionalism modeled by today’s pros, who might practice again, work out, stretch, ice bathe and dine per their nutritionist and other things most weekend golfers never think to do. The 19th hole in professional golf has undergone a revolution over the decades. To get a better sense of how and when this happened, listen to these tour pros past and present in their own voices.
DENIS PUGH
I started playing tournaments when I was 19. The plan back then was, “Play your round and head for the bar.” Now it’s very different. Mostly gone is what I called the Brian Barnes syndrome. Following his lead, you didn’t need to practice at all after a round if you played well. If you played badly, you didn’t need to practice because you wouldn’t find “it” on the range anyway. Either way, you went for a beer.
CHARLEY HOFFMAN
I used to be a little old school—grab a beer or a cocktail after the round and go on my way—but now it’s ice plunge, stretch, Norma-tech (battery-powered inflatable leg compressors). It’s a 30-minute to an hour-long process after virtually every round to make sure my body is ready for the next one. Without it, I don’t know if I’d be out here at my age competing.
JORDAN SPIETH
Occasionally, I’ll have a drink. Like if it was a hell of a day, my wife will make one cocktail for us, or I’ll just have a beer. On a Friday, if I’ve played a couple of good rounds, and I’m going to be teeing off a little later on Saturday, I like to make it Mexican. I’ll have a Dos Equis with my meal or a half a margarita. I used to indulge a little, but I don’t really do that much anymore during tournaments.
NICOLAS COLSAERTS
In more than 450 competitive rounds, I’ve played maybe 10 with a slight hangover, and I’ve played crappy every time. In Switzerland one year I made the cut on the number. Then I shot a big number on Saturday. I had my card locked for the next season so I went out that evening. I played my final round on one hour of sleep. It was a disaster. I bladed a bunker shot on the first hole into a chalet behind the green. The drive back to Brussels afterward was the longest of my life.
MIKE CLAYTON
I was part of the generation that followed the legendary drinking exploits of Bob Shearer, Jack Newton and Ian Stanley after their rounds. I’m sure they worked harder than people thought, but they were true legends. Their afternoon drinking sessions in the clubhouse are still talked about on tour.
PRACTICE WITH PURPOSE: Heading to the range to hit balls after a round has become more science than art these days.
GEOFF OGILVY
I’m post the Jack Newton and Bob Shearer era of Aussie golfers, so I never went to the bar after a round. Only very rarely did I have a drink in the evenings during a tournament, which is a bit sad in a way. We would all be way better friends if we did that. There was a spirit of that in Europe when I played there in the late 1990s. You would still see people sitting together for a chat. Now it’s different. Everyone just goes off for a stretch.
MARK JAMES
The tour started to change in the early 2000s. How far you hit the ball became more important. You could hit shots farther, and the ball wouldn’t curve much in the air. Keeping it straight was less of a problem, so guys started going to the gym after rounds. Tiger raised the bar. Strolls down to the bar became less frequent. Guys would order room service and flake out watching a movie. The tour changed, as did perceptions. Suddenly, being seen having a laugh in the bar was not cool. If you were there, it was assumed you were drunk. Video phones didn’t help. Players became wary of going out and having a good time.
BRIAN HARMAN
I used to have plenty of beers, especially after a good day, but not anymore. There are too many young guys out here who are super disciplined, and they’re hard enough to beat already.
GARY MCCORD
I liked to hang around the guys that liked to have fun instead of the guys who were really good. It was not really a good business plan. It’s very clear to me now.
JASON DAY
The nightmare is when you have no idea where the ball is going, and then you go to the range, and you still have no idea. You get super frustrated, and then you go home thinking, I just worked really, really hard, but nothing came out. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and say, Hey, it’s not that bad, just relax. That’s the conundrum. Should I go and practice or not?
I used to have plenty of beers, especially after a good round, but not anymore.
MAX HOMA
The worst is when you’re hitting it bad, and it’s about to be dark out, and you can’t go practice. It feels like you’re rushing around, and you’re not even accomplishing anything when you go to the range. When you’re playing well and you’re in the lead, I like winding down on the driving range, whether it’s chipping or whacking a few balls, almost mindlessly. Then go see my physio, stretch a bit, then head home, dinner, bed.
GEOFF OGILVY
At the start of my career, I would always go to the range after a round. I had to prove to myself I was a professional golfer. Somewhere along the line I stopped doing that. Then I went to the range only if I was angry because I didn’t want to be angry when I got back to the hotel. I would hit balls like a boxer hits a punching bag. I had to vent and process before I talked to anyone other than my caddie.
SAHITH THEEGALA
I love to practice for just 10 minutes—hit some shots with no pressure—because the whole time during the round, you have some sort of pressure. Even if you feel great, there’s a little bit of nerves, so I like to just clip 10 balls, end on a good one.
FITNESS FREAKS: Today’s tour pros are much more conscientious about their health and conditioning.
GARY MCCORD
We didn’t have teachers out there and never any structure, no launch monitors or Trackman. What we did was we hit balls until we got them to curve a certain way that we wanted them to go. I’d pound balls and pound balls until I got hungry, then I went out to dinner.
PAUL MCGINLEY
If I had a great day, I did nothing afterward. As Nicklaus used to say, "You can only use it when you have it."
LAURA DAVIES
Hit balls after a round? You’re kidding, right? It never made sense to me to be out there on the range after a good day. On those occasions I wanted to enjoy the fact that I had played well, not go lose that feeling. A cup of tea and a biscuit always sounded better.
I never did any workouts when I was in a tournament. I felt that would screw up muscle tone.
CURTIS STRANGE
The danger for me was going to the range after a round and staying too long. I’d start messing around, talking, hitting different shots because I got bored.
MARK JAMES
In the mid-’70s not many players hit balls after their rounds. It generally wasn’t a big thing, partly because the practice grounds were crap. You had to wait for the caddie to pick up the balls. It just wasn’t fun. I was part of a group who really started [practicing after rounds], along with Ken Brown, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman.
MIKE CLAYTON
If I played in the morning, I would finish and tell my caddie I would meet him on the range in an hour. Then I’d take two hours over lunch, but I always hit balls.
DENIS PUGH
Those who stop after 30 to 40 balls have spent their time productively. If you’re getting up to 100 balls, time is being wasted. I’ve seen players arrive hitting the ball well and keep going until they are hitting it crap out of sheer bloodymindedness—often to prove to the coach that something isn’t working. I’ve never seen the opposite where someone has hit balls for two hours and found “it” in the last 10 minutes.
DOTTIE PEPPER
Part of going to the range after a round was guilt. Everyone else was out there, so I had to be there, too. Players now are better at leaving things because they are better equipped to know when they have it right. We were guessing. Today I rarely see guys on the range for very long. It’s just not necessary. Working smart is so much better than working hard.
JUSTIN THOMAS
When I finish earlier in the day, I try to get a workout in. That might be 40 to 45 minutes of mobility-type exercises or light weights. I make sure certain muscles are firing. Like a lot of golfers, my right hip might be off, just because of how much we load into it. Left shoulder might need work. You know, there are only so many things I can control, and I feel like that’s one of the things I can control. As much as I’d like to go home and do nothing, that’s probably not in my best interest.
NICK PRICE
I never did any workouts when I was in a tournament. I felt that would screw up muscle tone. I did some running and swimming to kind of loosen up and get some exercise but no weightlifting or anything of that nature.
GEOFF OGILVY
I was part of the first generation of golfers who stretched and did a bit of exercise. It was done in the locker room and made us a bit different from the norm at first. It was a little bit embarrassing, really, because we were in the minority. Now everyone comes to the course with a backpack full of stretching gear, and the trainer drives the player to the course.
BRIAN HARMAN
At the bigger tournaments and all the elevated events, there is a player recovery tent with ice baths, saunas and physio tables. The tour has done a great job providing that, and it has been a godsend, especially for a guy that’s 37. My recovery has gotten more regimented as I’ve gotten older. I’ve got three kids, and I’m trying to stay out here for as long as I can. If I think anything is going to give me an edge or help me last a little bit longer, I’m going to do it.
JUSTIN THOMAS
I always spend time on the physio table after the round: deep-tissue work, getting knots out, having everything functioning the right way to get to neutral. If I have time, I like to get an ice bath in.
MAX HOMA
I was an ice bath guy during the Ryder Cup. My legs hurt so bad that week. I’m still trying to figure out how to do it more from a time-management perspective. I enjoy working out, too, and sometimes spacing all these things is difficult to make them into a daily routine.
SAHITH THEEGALA
I like ice baths, but sometimes I’m just too lazy to get in them.
NICK PRICE
I did a little of what these guys do now. I would get into some heat, usually a sauna or steam room or something and then get into a cold bath. That wasn’t always available, but I did that as much as I could. I didn’t really know the actual science behind it, but I knew it got me in a place where I was more ready for the next day.
Part of going to the range after a round was guilt. Everyone else was out there, so I had to be there, too.
CHRISTO LAMPRECHT
I try to be very consistent with my routine. After an early morning tee time, my afternoon will proceed as follows: Lunch from 1-2 p.m., make phone calls 2-2:30 p.m., hit range balls 2:30-3 p.m., putt and chip 3-3:30 p.m., do physio work in the fitness center 3:30-4:30 p.m., drive to my hotel and mentally detox by going to the pool or beach or any non-golf activity, dinner from 7-8 p.m., stretch from 8-9 p.m., then go to bed at 9 p.m. On top of all this, I take Creatine to keep my weight up. Having a tall frame, that’s important for me. We’re out here in the sun all day, and a lot of body mass gets lost sweating. Tournament week, I’m eating a lot of pizza, pasta and steak.
NEIL COLES
I used to stretch my legs out in front of me on the coffee table. Then I switched the television on. That was my stretching.
JUSTIN ROSE
[Rose owns a recreational vehicle retrofitted with hot and cold plunge, steam shower, infrared sauna, light therapy and kitchen. He hires a driver for delivery and setup for many tournaments.] Living in the U.K. and doing a lot of trans-Atlantic travel, I thought, How can I fight the age curve? I’ve been predisposed to some back stuff through the years, and the more good things I can do on a day-to-day basis, the more resilient I can be as an athlete. At age 44, I still want to win majors. There’s not many in history who have been able to crack on into their mid- and late 40s. Obviously, Phil did it at almost 51, which is great, but there’s always the outlier. That hasn’t been the norm. I’m just looking for all the angles I can to try to stay relevant and competitive for longer. We’ve got a nice coffee machine and some other creature comforts in there, so it’s a cool place to hang out. I don’t sleep in it because every available space is for recovery. I especially love the steam shower in allergy season—getting in there and really clearing out the sinuses.
LEE WESTWOOD
I eat with my team now that I am on LIV. Back in the 1990s the bars on the European Tour were busier after a round. That culture has changed. It’s not so easy to find a dinner companion in the bar. Guys are more professional now.
As much as I’d like to go home and do nothing, that’s probably not in my best interest.
SAHITH THEEGALA
If I have a 2:30 p.m. tee time and finish at 7:45, by the time I’m done scoring and signing it’s going to be 8:15. During big tournaments, it’s hard to just walk into a restaurant, so you’ll wait for takeout. By the time I get to the hotel, it’s 10 o’clock, and I want to veg. I haven’t been on my phone, but I have to go to bed. If I don’t, then I’m getting only five to six hours of sleep.
AGE-DEFYING: Pros are forgoing the post-round cocktail in favor of ice plunges and other physiotherapy.
HALE IRWIN
What I found that worked for me best was just getting away from it all. I didn’t want to talk shop. I would go out to dinner with Sally and the kids or have dinner with a friend or go see a movie. I wanted to flush the day out of my system and give my mind a rest from golf.
GEOFF OGILVY
In Europe I would get a bus back to the hotel. Dinner was often arranged on the bus. Or everyone headed to the bar after a shower and ate with whoever was around. Those who didn’t speak English as their first language tended to hang together, but mostly it was easy to find a group to eat with. Maybe a beer or two, which I did early on, but no more than that. I never got pissed. OK, maybe once a year toward the end of the season when I just couldn’t be bothered any more. There was always a blow-out.
JUSTIN ROSE
My recovery trailer is a fine place to dine. We’ll pick up dinner and go and eat there and do some recovery stuff. It’s a little home away from home.
BRANDEL CHAMBLEE
Today players have teams: There’s a nutritionist. There’s a trainer. There’s a mental coach. There’s a strategic coach. There’s a technical coach. They all must validate their presence, and the player has to make them all happy. Otherwise, why is he paying them? He works hard on all those areas after a round, divides his time among all of those coaches. In contrast, the [pros of the older generation] wouldn’t want to practice after a round because the balls sucked. The turf sucked. Now you can hit the best balls off a pristine surface with the best diagnostic tools as backup. You can fix things so quickly or at least know what the problem is. No guessing. The evolution of post-round practice has come a long way.
BOB TWAY
It’s amazing how golf has changed. These kids today are athletes. What it takes to compete is to be stronger and faster, so they work every angle on fitness. They dial in their equipment. My son Kevin doesn’t necessarily have the kind of team that the top guys have, but he works out and stays in great shape. I see how he goes about it, and it’s way different than when I was playing. I admire him and his generation for what they do now.
DENIS PUGH
Today’s habits probably make more sense than those followed by the “to-the-bar” generation at least in terms of professionalism, but never forget how well that generation could play. We are all products of our time.
The culture has changed. It’s not so easy to find a dinner companion at the bar.
PAUL MCGINLEY
During Rory McIlroy’s first two years on tour he played the “professional” way. He would hit irons off tees on tight holes because that was how everyone played. That changed when JP started caddieing for Rory. He saw that Rory was as straight with a driver as he was with a 2-iron. JP had Rory hitting driver everywhere. That was the best play for him, and when he started to be successful, others followed. Rory was the pioneer of aggressive play off the tee, not Tiger. Combined with the jump in equipment technology, that led to more guys working out in the gym.
MIKE CLAYTON
I’m not sure they are better players today, but they are better informed. The best players have always been brilliant. Look at Peter Thomson. No one played golf better than he did, and he never hit balls after a round.
LEE WESTWOOD
My routine never changed much throughout my career. I mark my scores along the tab on the bottom of the scorecard I’m marking. I tear it off. I sign the card I’m marking. Then I swap that card for my own. I check the scores on that card with those on my tab. If they match, I sign my scorecard. Then I make sure there are two signatures on it—mine and my marker’s. Then I check it again with the walking scorer. If the numbers all match again, I hand in my card. I’ve done that for 30 years, and it’s worked every time.
