What caliber player makes you say "Wow"?

[Kieran123]

Any shot hit pure by anyone is wow.

I played this last Saturday and my friend and I were playing the best golf we've ever played - feeding off each other. There were a lot of pure shots and a lot of fist bumps.

Doesn't have to be a pro to make me say wow, just a good shot, regardless of who's swinging the club

[rebby]

As I read through a few more posts here I also realize that I'm very impressed with LPGA golfers as well. Especially when watching them in person. Unlike their PGA counterparts, there is nothing unreal about their games. They don't hit the ball a mile, hit unbelievable recovery shots (with seemingly boring regularity), etc, etc. They're just rock solid consistent. Hole in, hole out, round to round. That is unreal. They don't make many mistakes and, when they do, they usually find a way to get down in par. I find that "boring" consistency highly impressive.

[Elvisliveson]

I've ssen so much in my life on the golf course, pro and amateur, that not too much makes me say wow. I would have to say a player who could pull off a shot that most of us couldn't conceive of in the first place , much less execute.

[bunkerputt]

I was playing a 140 yard downhill par-3 and these little old ladies come up behind us.  I had just hit wedge pin-high and we decided to let them play through since my partner was really, really bad.  She pulls driver, swings and it carries about 100, rolls to 110.  I thought, "Wow."  I really don't know how to play that kind of game.  She was having such a great time

[bunkerputt]

On second thought, 100 might be a little long ....

[NM Golf]

I have had the opportunity to play with several Tour players including Notah Begay, D.J Brigman, and Kent Jones. They make it look so easy. I played with a Tour Pro once at a local course a few years back when he shot 61 (-11). He did it effortlessly, it was awesome to watch except for the fact he was not my partner and it cost me $50!

[B-Con]

I'm fairly impressed by people who can consistently drop the ball next to the pin from 80 yds. and hit every long iron shot with the exact same ball flight. My guess is that these people tend to be 7 or under HDCPers. Maybe I'm too easy to impress. [quote name="MEfree" url="/forum/thread/47354/what-caliber-player-makes-you-say-wow#post_612861"]

However, when we turn to professional sports, it seems like we raise the bar and become completely unimpressed with the average "journeyman."  The talk of Tiger being a failure if he doesn't win 18+ majors ( http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/47321/tiger-faces-failed-legacy#post_612408 ) is a prime example of how high some raise that bar.

Whether it is basketball, baseball, tennis or golf, my feeling is that most of us would say "wow" after playing with any of these guys- even those at the end of the bench or deep down in the rankings.

[/quote] I've always found that interesting as well. Some people discuss and complement each other's above-average abilities (nothing wrong with that) but also feel free to criticize the abilities of players who have 20 times their ability. How often are professionals deemed to "suck" when they could easily vastly outplay anyone that the criticizer has every played with? It's one thing to compare the abilities of different pros, it's another to pronounce absolute judgement on them. The last .01% accuracy that keeps player X out of the world's top 25 does not, IMO, does not give people grounds to say that they "suck", especially when player X could play the socks off of anyone that would pass such judgement. I suppose that some people don't really mean what they say, but a lot of typical sports fans do and they get on my nerves with their judgement of pro's abilities.

[enis750]

good putting makes me say WOW

I seen some amazing putts after some terrible holes, and others are like "wow that was so lucky".....no it wasnt

some of the guys i play with are just plain great putters - it's sick

big drives and long pured 3irons are neat, but I absolutely LOVE watching good putters (cause frankly i blow!! LOL!)

[johnclayton1982]

Quote:

Whether it is basketball, baseball, tennis or golf, my feeling is that most of us would say "wow" after playing with any of these guys- even those at the end of the bench or deep down in the rankings.

Nobody really understands how good the bottom of the rung of pro sports is.  They are insane.  I've had a brush with two, and then a story about golf that really impressed me.

In school I played division 1 tennis, and we were sent during the summer to the Bolletieri academy to train for a month.  This academy produces some of the best junior players in the world.  Rotator cuff problems made me move from tennis to golf.  Anyway, we were there during the annual tournament and all of us played in it.  In the first round I played a guy who had just lost to Roddick (this was some time ago) in the semifinals of the junior Australian Open.  He was ridiculous.  I thought I was a good player, and I won two points the entire match.  It was like he was bored.  I couldn't touch his serve, and all my serves (which was my best shot) were hit back for winners.  I couldn't even begin to think how to compete with him.  One guy, who was a top 10 rated junior, played one of our guys (a #4 on a very well respected tennis team) even left-handed for four games then switched to the right and didn't lose a point.  Neither of those guys made it as pros.

In college I played pickup basketball with a kid who was a bench warmer for Providence College, a big east school.  He didn't even get on the floor, and only one guy on his team made the NBA.  He was insane.  Hit almost every three, was twice as quick as everyone else, and totally dominated the game.  After playing with him I can't even imagine what NBA players are like.

The most impressive thing in golf I've ever seen was a relatively older guy who was paired with me and two friends randomly.  The starter asked his handicap and he said he was a scratch, which impressed us a ton.  On the first tee, a par 4 with a very tight fairway and serious trouble on both sides with a huge bunker to the right and OB to the left, we all hit drivers god knows where, and he hit a 6 iron dead straight about 170-175 yards (hole was about 340).  We thought he was insane when he pulled out the six instead of driver.  He hit it dead straight.  Then got over his ball and hit the exact same shot, dead straight about 170 on the middle of the green.  He hit that six iron on almost every hole - it was crazy.  He would total up the distance to the pin, then figure out where to hit to have 165-170 to the green.  On a short par 4 with tons of trouble (on the back nine at TPC La.. if you've played the course you curse this hole), he hit 9 iron off the tee to set up a six iron to the green, and he never missed with the six iron.  We all hit driver into trouble and got huge scores.  In talking to him, I learned that when he goes to the range he almost only hits the six, and he never triple putted.  He probably nailed 15-16 six irons that round dead straight with the exact same length.  He shot par on every hold except two par 5s, which he birdied to shot -2.  When asked, he said "Why make golf more complicated?  If you have one long, go-to club, you can really get around on the course".  And he was right.  Since then, I've dropped a ton of strokes off my score by putting away the driver unless I really need it.  He was a very nice, great player, but his playing strategy made me say "wow".  I don't think he hit a wedge the entire round as he always hit that six right where he wanted to.  What was even more insane is the irons were Adams Tight Lies irons, which are some of the cheapest irons you can get, but man did this guy work those mid-irons, he never missed.  He also carried like 10 clubs and no driver, and his longest club was a old cobra 4 wood he teed off on par 5s with.  He played with that, a set of irons starting at 5, two wedges, and a putter.

[bkoguy07]

Originally Posted by johnclayton1982

In college I played pickup basketball with a kid who was a bench warmer for Providence College, a big east school.  He didn't even get on the floor, and only one guy on his team made the NBA.  He was insane.  Hit almost every three, was twice as quick as everyone else, and totally dominated the game.  After playing with him I can't even imagine what NBA players are like.

true I played ball with a guy from WF (wake forest) and he didnt even play and dominated us lol

The most impressive thing in golf I've ever seen was a relatively older guy who was paired with me and two friends randomly.  The starter asked his handicap and he said he was a scratch, which impressed us a ton.  On the first tee, a par 4 with a very tight fairway and serious trouble on both sides with a huge bunker to the right and OB to the left, we all hit drivers god knows where, and he hit a 6 iron dead straight about 170-175 yards (hole was about 340).  We thought he was insane when he pulled out the six instead of driver.  He hit it dead straight.  Then got over his ball and hit the exact same shot, dead straight about 170 on the middle of the green.  He hit that six iron on almost every hole - it was crazy.  He would total up the distance to the pin, then figure out where to hit to have 165-170 to the green.  On a short par 4 with tons of trouble (on the back nine at TPC La.. if you've played the course you curse this hole), he hit 9 iron off the tee to set up a six iron to the green, and he never missed with the six iron.  We all hit driver into trouble and got huge scores.  In talking to him, I learned that when he goes to the range he almost only hits the six, and he never triple putted.  He probably nailed 15-16 six irons that round dead straight with the exact same length.  He shot par on every hold except two par 5s, which he birdied to shot -2.  When asked, he said "Why make golf more complicated?  If you have one long, go-to club, you can really get around on the course".  And he was right.  Since then, I've dropped a ton of strokes off my score by putting away the driver unless I really need it.  He was a very nice, great player, but his playing strategy made me say "wow".  I don't think he hit a wedge the entire round as he always hit that six right where he wanted to.  What was even more insane is the irons were Adams Tight Lies irons, which are some of the cheapest irons you can get, but man did this guy work those mid-irons, he never missed.  He also carried like 10 clubs and no driver, and his longest club was a old cobra 4 wood he teed off on par 5s with.  He played with that, a set of irons starting at 5, two wedges, and a putter.

respect.

[JoelCochran]

I have two "Wow" stories. My first weekend in Florida back in 1997 I played in a charity scramble with a guy who just came off the Nike tour.  It was the first time I'd played with anyone of a true competitive skill level.  On the first hole he hit a monster 310+ power fade, probably the most drive I had ever seen.  He leaves it about 120 to the green and hits a perfect wedge to about 8 feet.  About this time I'm wondering why he left the tour, but then it comes time to putt and he had this terrible looping putting stroke.  It was so bad you would have thought he was goofing around, and he admitted that he couldn't hang on tour because he couldn't putt.  That being said, we finished with a 56 and won the tournament :-)

My second Wow came when I was in my mid 20s.  I was in the Army and in the best physical shape of my life and playing pretty well.  Of course, back then I thought the game was about distance, so one day my Dad and I got paired with an older gentleman, maybe around 70.  It took him 3 strokes to reach almost every par 4, the last usually a short pitch or chip.  The thing is, he was never in trouble and he ended up shooting in the mid 70s while my macho self was blowing up into the 90s.  My Dad told me I could learn a lot from that old man's game, I just wish I had taken it seriously back then.

[montru]

There a guy at my club in his mid 20's, he was last years club champ, shot three rounds under par at our three courses. he regularly hits his drives 300+, just last month he had a hole in one on a 333 par 4!!!!

the thing is, he's not bothered about making any kind of career out of golf.

Now that just makes you think wow!

[kpaulhus]

I got to play with a kid named Julian Surey this past weekend. He plays for Duke and is the 397th ranked amateur in the country. His game made me say "wow". I might not ever get to be that good, but its what I aspire for every weekend.

[shakogolfer78]

My buddy that plays golf at my college really makes me say WOW.  He is a plus 2-3 handicapper, won the Phil Mickelson award for best freshmen golfer, and once shot a 63 (-8) as a Junior in HS.  I have played with him a few times, and he always is pulling a new trick out of his hat.  I remember this one round in particular where we played a course for the first time, and he played from 7100 yards with a slope of 148 and finished eagle birdie birdie to shoot 73!  He has played so well at our D3 school he got a full ride to play D1 next year.  All I ask is that I can be his caddy some day.

[Ben]

I play with some pretty top-notch players. A lot of these guys make me say "wow" but two in particular are really WOW. Jeff and Eric. Jeff is getting up in age, played the US Senior Open last year, but does not make mistakes. I have played with him four times I think, and I've seen in hit one bad shot. Honestly, one. Eric is mid to upper 30s. I've only played with him once but man, he kicked ass. 17GIR, bogey-free, 5under 67. Left probably four shots on the course too.

I've had a few Wow moments myself. I am making them more frequent which is super fun!