The favorite topic for golf pundits leading up to the Masters is how Augusta National is boring, how there's no Sunday roars, and that it's Hootie Johnson et al's golf course changes that have made what was once the most exciting place on bent grass a well-manacured U.S. Open track.
The thing is, it's not the course changes. The last three Masters have been relatively dull, with Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, and Trevor Immelman all walking up No. 18 with the tournament well in hand. But the major course changes came in 2002, and from 2003-2005 there were two playoffs and a win with a birdie on No. 18.
Yes, there were changes prior to the 2006 event, but those were minor compared to the 2002 changes. The thing that has made the past three Masters so dull has been the weather. When it's cold, windy, and running fast around Augusta then you're going to get higher scores. And yes, the last two Masters have been won by dark horses, but then again Tiger finished second in both of them so the "Tiger-proofing" claim doesn't really hold water. In both cases he just need to make more putts.
So if you want a magical Sunday at Augusta this year, pray for good weather. Augusta National is almost set up like the British Open. The course is set up, and then the weather dictates the scores. You could have over par winning, or you could have double digits under par losing.
What if Tiger did like Rory?
Tiger Woods spent two years at Stanford and then turned pro at the age of 20. He won two TOUR events before he was 21 and we all know what happened from there.
Rory McIlroy is 19, has contended in a handful of European Tour events, is racking up top-20s on the PGA TOUR, and won in Dubai earlier this year.
It's not often we think about the "What if?" when looking at Tiger's career, but what if Tiger had decided to turn pro after that first U.S. Amateur win?
Would the swing change he and Butch Harmon made in 1998 come two years earlier, meaning he would have started dominating the TOUR two years earlier?
Or, did his two years in Palo Alto give him a little more life experience and develop him as a man in a way that has been key to his dominance?
He's Baaaaack
Tiger, cut Sean O'Hair some slack. His dad wasn't as nice to him as yours was.
Seriously though, Tiger's the guy that shows up at the bar, sits in corner, chills with his boys, and then all of a sudden, after a five minute chat, he's got the best looking girl in the bar on his arm and he's out the door with her.
Everybody else, in this case it was Sean O'Hair, is the guy that buys girls drinks, talks with them about their career goals, takes them to the dance floor, looks like he's in, but somehow, someway, ends up leaving the bar alone.
I've often said that winning a golf tournament is about running out of holes at just the right time. Tiger is the best ever at that, and the 2009 Arnold Palmer personified that maybe more than any other tournament.
Phil Gets It Together
Of course, after I question Phil Mickelson's assertions that he was playing well and was just a little bit off, he goes out and wins two tournaments.
The win in L.A. was classic Phil. Two mediocre rounds and two rounds that only he could pull off. One of those mediocre rounds, the final round, was salvaged by him ignoring mechanics and going with a grip-it-and-rip-it style on the final four holes. Great advice for anyone that's playing under pressure.
At Doral, Phil chipped in more times than most tour pros do in a month. He credited his short game success to simplifying it after breaking down his technique for an upcoming instructional DVD. Gee, Phil, ever think of applying that same logic to your full swing?
Also noteworthy is that he won feeling like absolute crap. In a way that might have helped him by keeping his mind on drinking Gatorade instead of two holes ahead.
What's Up With Phil?
In his first event of the season, the FBR Open, Phil Mickelson went MC-Hammer Trunk Slammer. In event number two, the Buick Invitational, Mickelson was barely a blip on the radar screen.
It's one thing for a player, even one of Phil's caliber, to struggle coming out of the gates, but it's another when he does it at tournaments where he's won multiple times, tournaments held in cities that he's held a permanent residence in at one time.
This begs the question, what part of Phil's game is seriously lacking? Some will point to a bad driver or a balky putter, but I believe the issue lies beneath that even.
Phil has coaches, multiple coaches to be exact. For the full swing there's Butch Harmon, who oversaw arguably the greatest season ever in Tiger Woods' 2000 Pillaging Tour. For the short game there's Dave Pelz, golf's answer to baseball stats guru Bill James. For the body there's Sean Cochran, the former strength coach for the San Diego Padres.
There's one thing missing on Team Phil: A sport psychologist. That might be what Phil needs most right now. In fairness, there is the possibility Phil might be seeing a mental coach right now and might not be saying so. He has worked with Dr. Bob Rotella in the past, and his sister, PGA professional Tina Mickelson, is quoted on the back of Dr. Joseph Parent's book, "Zen Golf".
But if there isn't someone he's seeing maybe it's time he does. Padraig Harrington is extremely forthcoming about the work he's done with Rotella, perhaps Phil should follow suit and add one more coach to Team Phil.
It's one thing for a player, even one of Phil's caliber, to struggle coming out of the gates, but it's another when he does it at tournaments where he's won multiple times, tournaments held in cities that he's held a permanent residence in at one time.
This begs the question, what part of Phil's game is seriously lacking? Some will point to a bad driver or a balky putter, but I believe the issue lies beneath that even.
Phil has coaches, multiple coaches to be exact. For the full swing there's Butch Harmon, who oversaw arguably the greatest season ever in Tiger Woods' 2000 Pillaging Tour. For the short game there's Dave Pelz, golf's answer to baseball stats guru Bill James. For the body there's Sean Cochran, the former strength coach for the San Diego Padres.
There's one thing missing on Team Phil: A sport psychologist. That might be what Phil needs most right now. In fairness, there is the possibility Phil might be seeing a mental coach right now and might not be saying so. He has worked with Dr. Bob Rotella in the past, and his sister, PGA professional Tina Mickelson, is quoted on the back of Dr. Joseph Parent's book, "Zen Golf".
But if there isn't someone he's seeing maybe it's time he does. Padraig Harrington is extremely forthcoming about the work he's done with Rotella, perhaps Phil should follow suit and add one more coach to Team Phil.
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