saltman

If Duval is able to complete this comeback and one could argue that he perhaps he has based on that single result. I don't think I can recall anything like it in golf, but it would perhaps be reminiscent of Andre Agassi's fall in tennis. Agassi went from No. 1 to No. 122 and had to play in in some satellite tournaments before ultimately winning the French Open out of nowhere. His fall wasn't as long as Duval's, but tennis careers are much more compressed.

Now I am getting more confused. If I hit a provisional under the assumption that the ball is likely lost in a non-hazard area. You then find your original ball in that area but "declare" it unplayable and determine the stroke and distance penalty is the best option. Are you saying you are not able to play the provisional which you already hit? The assumption being that provisional was made for the purposes of lost ball and not unplayable? So at this point my only option would be two clubs relief or walk back and hit from the original spot, but that provisional is now out of play? Can I declare that I am hitting a provisional for dual purposes, the ball is either A) lost or B) unplayable?

I got a negative reputation comment for expressing an opinion that it was "harder" to make a hole in one than shoot under par. The thread actually asked the question and while I admittedly vigorously defended my position I thought that was the purpose of a message board. I didn't call anyone names or use foul laguage. I guess I don't understand the purpose.

All year as I return to this game I have battled with consistent ball striking and my nasty little hook. At the beginning of the year it was a major swing flaw, but now its clearly mental. So I popped into the book store yesterday thinking I would pick up a book on the mental approach...ie: Zen Golf or Golf is a Game of Confidence. I stood there thumbing through a couple books and of course I have known about The Little Red Book for years, but never read it. I had no intention of buying it I was just curious and picked it up. After reading about 4 pages, I decided I didn't need a mental book I needed this book! I read about 20-25 pages during my lunch hour. The earliest I can get to any kind of course during the week is about 7pm so I thought what the hell I will go and get 4 or 5 holes in. Well there was nobody on the course and I was able to play 14 holes (walking by the way) in about 2 hours. I thought about 3 things, Hand Position and Taking Dead Aim and Positive Thinking. Best ball striking I have had all year. On a 187 yard par 3, I pured a 6-iron to 10 feet that looked like it landed on velcro. I decided to pull another ball out and try to put the same swing on it and the two balls wound up 8 feet apart, both about 10 feet from the cup. I feel like the book cleared out my mind. As I was reading it, I felt as though I did many many things that Mr. Penick would approve of with my swing/grip/stance and game in general. I just had a wave of confidence, which has been lost all year. I intend to make this required reading every year before I play a single round of golf.

Has this changed?

This is actually a really good question. Provisionals aren't just for OB, but lost balls, ie: hitting into a non-hazard knee high fescue. There are several situations in which I would simply want to play my provisional under the "assumption" the ball is lost. Is that my right?

You haven't been watching him. His putter has been sketchy in several tournaments, most notably Quail Hollow where he ended his chance to win with a late 3 putt par after driving the green. He didn't putt extremely well at The Masters either. Who is a better putter on tour? I think the two best right now are Brian Gay and Luke Donald.

That's where the faulty logic comes from. While I agree he is the best clutch putter, I believe that only to be the case because he does so many other things well to give himself so many chances to make a clutch putt. He has missed a few as well, but people rarely remember.

Another person that buys into the fallacy that if a person is the best player than they must be the best at everything. The reality is the sum of all aspects of Tiger's game make him the best. In my opinion the only aspect of the game that he is "the best" at is pure desire and toughness. I don't know why we pick this one aspect and claim he must be the best putter because he has won more majors than anyone else. That is faulty logic. His putting is just one factor that went into all those majors. If Tiger was No. 1 in putting for the week in all 14 wins I may agree with you. I am 100% sure that is not the case. The best putter doesn't always win ergo Tiger can win without being the best putter.

Tiger Woods is CURRENTLY the best CLUTCH player. That doesn't mean his is the best putter. You have to chip-in to win on the 72nd hole, who would you have chip it? You have to make hole-in-one on the 72nd hole, who would you rather have hit the shot? Point is you can make that statement about Tiger as it relates to virtually any aspect of the game. But if you take all the pressure away and focus on the beauty of a stroke the understanding of greens and purity of roll when the putt is struck, there are several guys that are better today and hundreds over the course of history. That reality is nobody was better at making the big putt than Tiger at least through age 33. Nobody was better at ANY aspect of the game when it matters than Tiger because the most important quality in golf is mental toughness.

I disagree with the notion that the PGA tour is nothing more than a putting contest. If that were the case, Brad Faxon would be dominating the tour. Ben Crenshaw didn't lose his game because he was no longer putting well, he got old. He couldn't keep up with the big hitters anymore, the courses were too long for him. I understand what Miller is saying and I think most classic experts agree. The putting stroke is undergoing a what the swing has been undergoing for last 10 years. Its becoming more mechanical, because the guy that is winning has a mechanical stroke. How many of you have tried to practice putting by repitition for 2-3 hours a day. Your back starts to hurt like hell and I don't believe Tiger will be able to sustain that type of regimen into his 40s. All that being said, he doesn't make clutch putts because of how good a putter he and Phil doesn't miss because he isn't as good. Making clutch putts is about something else and lets not forget how many times Tiger puts himself in contention to make a clutch putt. You cannot do that without being the best in all other aspects of the game.

How can you possibly know from watching television what the correct play is from where she was? She just saw Derek hit his ball left and possibly in the trees, he may have just brought double bogey into play and she is only three down. As it happens, Derek did in fact make bogey and was bailed out because she mishit an iron, but that doesn't make it the stupid play, it was most likely the absolutely correct play. Making a bad swing and making a bad decision are two very different things. Derek "appears" to play overly agressive sometimes and brings a lot of trouble into play. Its not out of the realm of possibility that he could make a big mistake. On the other hand, only Derek knows his game so he may simply know that he has to play agressive to play his best. He may not be able to dial it down. Very similar to Greg Norman who feels he lost more often by trying to be someone he wasn't, ie: taking his foot off the pedal.

Wow, this is a tough crowd. Comments such as Blair is terrible are simply not true as are comments that Derek played out of his skin. Since the last day was basically a broken 18 holes, I believe Derek was -2 on the day and Blair was +4 or 5. I am sure both can play better than they did, but both did enough in my mind to validate their ability. I guess I am a bit stunned at how 10+ handicaps can be so cavalier about someone else's game. Its fine to make comments like he/she may not have what it takes to make it on tour, but to call someone terrible?

Yeah, I see what you are saying, but do you play a lot of courses where the rating is 75+? At least around here, the number of courses rated higher than 73 is very low. If you are not used to playing those courses and the premium they put on nutting 4,5,6 irons I would submit that a 1-2 stroke differential is pretty solid. I have a similar trend as the OP. My lowest round of the season was at the hardest course I have played.

Isn't that how its supposed to work? Sounds like you play courses exactly how the rating system suggests your handicap would play them.

I swear to god if you search for my first post, I would have thought you are plagerizing. We are in almost identical situations right down to the handicap, I am currently a 13.3! At any rate, its been a bit of a frustrating process. If you are like me you will find that different parts of your game will come together each round, but its a struggle to put them all together in the same round. I have been fighting the hooks badly and then I seemed to get those under control and could not putt. So I spent a few extra hours on the putting green last week and felt like I was going to put in a good round yesterday......low and behold the hooks came back and I shot a mind boggling 93 after being just 3 over through 7. When the hooks come, so do the doubles and triples. After going OB left for the third consecutive hole on 16, I lost it and actually slammed a club into the ground, not like me, but it made me realize the passion has returned for better or worse. My goals this year are modest, I do intend to play in a local tournament or two, but I would like to fire a few rounds in the 70s as well. Frankly, I am a bit stunned that in 13 rounds this summer, my low round is just 83. All in all, my game physically is close, but I am a mental midget. I put so much pressure on myself to get better and I am not thinking about where the ball needs to go, but rather where it shouldn't go. So the advice I would offer is work on the mental aspect as well. Having confidence is crucial. Keep me posted on how its going for you and what break throughs you are making. Good to hear someone else is in the same boat.

I have played 12 rounds this year without one, which is odd to me. I have had probably 5 legit chances and twice 3 putted! All of my eagles have come on Par 5's, either putting or short chip ins. I never even thought to count how many I have had. I only remember 1, which was in competition. Driver 3 iron to 3 feet and drilled the putt. That was a fun one!

Thanks Awsi, that pretty much affirms what I had thought. Based on two shows I quickly surmised that this format would lead to upsets. I believe Derek even mentioned that Football was an upset on golfgal's blog. My rankings of ability remain unchanged. Derek, Aaron, Eugene, Football, Gerina (best odds of making the big leagues), Blair, Brian, Caroline, Kim, Brenda, Nicole, Robert

I look for him to really compete at the British as well, his confidence should be sky high going in. Really impressed with how he battled back after that opening triple. Fantastic that he will be back at Augusta as well!

I can see that argument. I love her swing though.

Unlike the other contestants, I cannot recall a single shot that would lead someone to believe that Blair's short game is her weakness. She has played several quality bunker shots, drained some huge putts including a 50 footer and shown solid touch a few other chip shots. I feel like I am watching a different show.

That was quitting. I played 13 times last year and 12 so far this year and that is the extent of my comback so far. The 6 other rounds were just random events or rounds that I was asked to play in, but the clubs sat collecting dust for a long time.

I took almost 13 years off. Just starting to get back into it, but haven't played enough rounds to show any scoring. Up until recently, I had been fighting the driver badly and that would lead to huge numbers. Can't do much when you are hitting 3 off the tee, 3 or 4 times per round. I suspect by the end of the year, I will be back into single digits. The driver is much closer and I am giving myself chances.

There are a 1000 different kind of players that play to a scratch. One thing they all have in common is a trusty flat stick. My playing partner and I have both been under 3, I have never been a scratch to my dismay. We are completely different players, he grinds out par after par and I make a lot of big numbers and a lot of birdies. We both make a lot of putts however, mine tend to be for bogey or birdie, his tend to be for par.

Nope, I am with you. I think she has the best game of ALL the females including Gerina and the best chance to win. She has hit more quality shots than anyone, Derek has hit more spectacular shots than anyone and Brenda has hit more timely shots than anyone.