Choke or not???

[saevel25]

Oh he choked.. when he was in red figures for 3 days straight, goes out and gives back that many strokes in the first few holes. BIG CHOKE!!! Sorry, but he was consistant all week and his swing just disintigrated on him.

[allin]

Lee Trevino used to say that in that situation they all leak a little oil. But these weren't all physical errors. He made some decisions I felt were overly agressive. It reminded me of some of Greg Normans famous meltdowns. He didn't choke as much as fail to adjust when he got sped up. Then he just couldn't make anything happen, not suprising when a poor start shakes your confidence. To me a choke is a poor decision, or stabbing a putt, easy chip, etc.

[Yukari]

Not a choke, no. A collapse maybe, but not a choke. Its not garuntee that Johnson would have won the tournament with the way the course was playing. It was a clean win by McDowell, IMO.

Are you serious???

Here is one definition of choke " To fail to perform effectively because of nervous agitation or tension, especially in an athletic contest:" He choked! No ifs, ands or buts about it.

[CG031]

it was def. a choke. i'm not saying i wouldn't have choked under teh open pressure on sunday though. im sure i would've lol.

[TN94z]

Are you serious???

If you go by that, there are so many tour players that choke consistently it's ridiculous. I think that is a bit broad.

I guess I have just always considered choking as, for example, leading a tournament with only a few holes left and then completely losing it at the end. With this happening at the beginning, I just think it was a few mishits, followed by some bad decisions. I think it was more of a swing collapse causing a bad day (which would be dang near impossible to recover from in a major situation) more than a choke. Had he played like he did all week up until say 14, and then all of the sudden that happens to him, then I consider it a choke. I guess it is just a matter of interpretation by the individual.

[WUTiger]

Johnny Miller has the best definition for choking I've ever heard. And, it applies to all sports:

Miller says is that choking is poor performance under pressure, caused by varying from your normal routine.

For college football place kickers, the 39-yard field goal to win a bowl game is the same as the 39-yard field goal back in high school. You develop a routine which you adhere to, especially under pressure.

Dustin Johnson has a reputation as being a flat-liner : no nerves during pressure. But, he started rushing his shots early in the round, rushing his set-up, even his putts. He didn't have a one-shot choke, he had a swing collapse. His triple bogie on No. 2 was one rushed shot after another.

Ernie Els hit some low-quality shots, but he kept his swing together. On one of his up-and-downs on the back nine, he started to hit a bunker shot, but some people in the gallery were talking as he started his address. He turned around and said politely, "quiet, please." He restarted his address, popped the ball out, and sank a short putt. Not all good shots, but "Big Easy" kept his smooth routine throughout.

[Elsfan]

Johnny Miller has the best definition for choking I've ever heard. And, it applies to all sports:

I wont buy what you said for two reasons:

1. He basically hit it out of bounds twice on ten when he within one shot of the lead. 2. He has a chance to possibly make 3 on 18 and he hits one of the worst iron shots he hit all week. Even when he did hit some quality iron shots down the back his putter went cold. There is a ton of pressure to win a tournament like that and no one wants to win more then Ernie. He at least tasted it again and will have a good shot coming up at St. Andrews.

[CG031]

Nah, Johnson stuck to his pre-shot routine and everything. He got a little quick at times, but things were already starting to unravel. Maybe if he slowed down he wouldn't of shot an 82, but what he did was a complete choke, come on now. Being up 3 shots in the open and just coming right out of the gate and giving it all back within the first six holes....really? The course was obviously extremely difficult, but he had played it so well, that the nerves obviously had an effect.

Not sure of the stats, but I had heard somewhere on TGC before Sunday's round he's had quite a few high numbers in Sunday rounds over the short time he's been on tour.

[Elsfan]

It depends on what you call a choke.

The course in a U.S. open is always hard Mr. Black. The lead on Saturday was six under par and the entire feild went backwards on Sunday. Is this because of the course or nerves? I would say the latter. Dustin Johnson could have shot 5 over and won. As they said in the broadcast the only groups playing horribly were the last three. The only person IMO who had no excuse to choke was Phil. The U.S. open was at a great venue for him to win with a lot of momentum from the Masters. Tiger has so much pressure on all areas of his life, and Ernie has not won a major in almost a decade. Add to the fact Tiger has never won a major when trailing by even one stroke it was hard to believe he could get it done.

[Chilli Dipper]

I'm not inclined to say that DJ choked. His collapse was shocking in its brevity and totality, but it happened far too early in the final round. Players choke in the last few holes, not the first few. He just wasn't comfortable with his game all day.

[Elvisliveson]

This is the US Open at Pebble Beach, it happens. In 72' Nicklaus almost had 4 stroke lead over Arnold Palmer turn into a 1 stroke deficit in the space of 2 holes. In 1992 Dr. Gil Morgan, an accomplished veteran player, got it to -12 (first person ever to go to double digits under per at USO) after 12 holes of the 3rd round, lost 8 shots to par on the remaining 6 to finish the day at -4, still good for a 4 shot lead, which he promptly lost the next day by shooting 81.

[Divot Tool]

The course in a U.S. open is always hard Mr. Black. The lead on Saturday was six under par and the entire feild went backwards on Sunday. Is this because of the course or nerves? I would say the latter. Dustin Johnson could have shot 5 over and won. As they said in the broadcast the only groups playing horribly were the last three. The only person IMO who had no excuse to choke was Phil. The U.S. open was at a great venue for him to win with a lot of momentum from the Masters. Tiger has so much pressure on all areas of his life, and Ernie has not won a major in almost a decade. Add to the fact Tiger has never won a major when trailing by even one stroke it was hard to believe he could get it done.

Johnson-without a doubt-choked. I do feel for the guy though. He hit a poor shot on 2 which was then followed by a bad decision, then panic set in. He clearly couldn't block out the triple, which led to the double and ultimately a disastrous round considering he was -6 starting the 4th round.

The course played tough. But I think that the guys at the top, knowing that DJ had fallen back, faltered with the exception of McDowell and Havret. Perhaps it was a bit of pressure. It seemed as if the leaders were not swinging well. I too was very surprised Phil didn't make a serious challenge. Ernie faded away and Tiger...well it was clear from his opening tee shot that this was not his championship to win.

[Dave H]

I'd call it a choke. The tournament was his to win and he gave it away with his gaffes on holes 2-4.

[jamo]

Guys like Ernie, Phil, and Tiger all played poor, but they broke 80. They did not choke. Johnson shot 82! That's a choke. He was clearly nervous, as shown by how he started rushing himself chipping and putting.

[Easy]

To choke simple means to lose your nerve under pressure. Dustin Johnson did just that. Still wasn't as bad as that dude who fumbled at St. Jude imo.

[Awsi Dooger]

Not sure of the stats, but I had heard somewhere on TGC before Sunday's round he's had quite a few high numbers in Sunday rounds over the short time he's been on tour.

I bet the head to head matchups every week, and have for nearly two decades. Dustin Johnson is known for the big mistake, at least among golf bettors. It's been a frequent topic for more than a year, that you're never safe with him because he can find the late double or triple bogey to blow the matchup. Last year at Augusta many of my friends were frustrated because they bet him in many forms and he had tons of birdies and eagles but gave it away via big numbers.

The left handed shot was a choke decision, IMO. Same with the flop choice from barely off the green. He had birdie holes like 4 and 6 coming up. A bogey would have been semi irrelevant, and not changed his frame of mind. The triple obviously did. Some guys who choke, you can confidently assess it would have happened virtually every time. With Dustin I wouldn't insist he couldn't have shot par or better under identical circumstances if the round had been replayed. But make no mistake, that result carries a mental hurdle. He dodged the press. That's enough of a clue. Overall, I thought the entire lead pack choked to some extent, failing to grasp the winning score would be in the even par range. I was astonished at the loose decisions on Sunday. Once Dustin made the triple bogey it was obvious to me even par suddenly was a great score. Phil emphasized that all week then seemingly doubted his own reasoning on Sunday. When he was even par I was yelling, just stay there. Then when he was +1 I hoped he realized he merely needed to play sensibly cautious until a birdie chance on 18.

[sean_miller]

Once Dustin made the triple bogey it was obvious to me even par suddenly was a great score.

DJ had choke written all over his face after the first hole. I watched the final round on tape (yes I said "tape") and after his first hole I hit fast forward every time I saw him on the screen. I knew it was going to be a choke fest. I didn't have to hit FF too often on the back nine, because they only showed him miss a couple putts.

One exta guy that I'd hesitate to call a "choker" (at least this time out) is Davis Love. He came so close to a couple birdies that wouldn't drop and one of them turned into a bogey. I don't consider a good decision and a good stroke with a bad result choking.

[Slammin' Sam]

It's a choke all right...right up there with Greg Norman's final round in the '96 Masters.