Here is my reason that most people don't understand how good the PGA TOUR is...these are normal courses, set up normal, with marginal rough, and normal(ish) pins - (because of the ams). Do these scores seem normal? The tournament is this weeks PGA event. 25 under??? R U F'n kiddin me? -17 gets you the lead once in the last 6 years.

Year Name 54-Hole Total & Margin
2010 Alex Prugh 195 (-21)/1 stroke
2009 Pat Perez 191 (-25)/2 strokes
2008 Robert Gamez 198 (-18)/1 stroke
2007 Justin Rose 198 (-18)/2 strokes
2006 Chad Campbell 197 (-17)/4 strokes
2005 Joe Ogilvie 193 (-21)/2 strokes

awesome thread. thanks for the insight ship! you're a true grinder.

i've always been fascinated by david duval. how the man go go from being # 1 in the world to where he's at now. he shows flashes on his old self (ie. the 09 us open), but for the most part his game is in the toilet. what do you think his issue is??

I work with the same sports psychologist Duval has used for the last few years. And while he won't comment exactly on what they talk about we do go over a few things that I know they talk about. Specifically, managing expectations. If you look at David's results over the last 5 years or so his best finishes have always come on the hardest courses. When he shows up at a normal Tour event he knows that it is going to take low scores which requires near perfection for that specific week. Once something goes wrong it is easy to get deflated. He has expectations of winning and that is all he wants or cares to do. Grinding out a t-36 doesn't really get his motor running. However, at the US or British Open you know it is going to be hard and you are going make bogeys and worse. The expectation with regards to scoring is lower and thus the pressure of perfection is gone. At the British you know you are going to get bad bounces and bad luck due to links golf so you are prepared to deal with it in advance. I know expectations applied to me with regards to playing for fun as an am in 2008 was so easy because I didn't care and was just trying to relearn to play the game. I entered Q-School as an am and there was no pressure because I was doing it on a whim and not a job. But the first tournament I went to as a pro again in 2009, FBR in Phoenix last January, I was 2 under through 10 holes and then short sided myself on 11 got cute and made dub. I lost my head in rage just like I did when I was younger playing professionally the first time around. So I managed to play an entire year without getting pissed in 2008 because it was just for fun, but the first time I played with expectations now that I was a "pro" again I lost my mind in 11 holes flat! Trying to be patient and control expectations was probably my biggest challenge/leak last year as it is for Duval.

Side story:
Duval was always one of my favorites and when he was the man in 1999 or so I did the Monday Q for the Houston Open and missed but hung around to watch him play a practice round on Tuesday. It was him, his caddy and me for 9 holes and when I tell you he didn't miss a shot for 9 holes (approx. 50 shots with practice) I mean he didn't miss a shot. It was awesome. His caddy would give him driver on the tee and say hit it at that pine and cut it 7 yards, boom, then hand him a 3 wood and say now start this at the ball you just hit and draw it back to the pine you started the last one at, done...it was deflating as a mini-tour guy at the time watching that and thinking "ummm, Scott, you are kidding yourself, this guy is unreal." I seriously had to go home and convince myself that I did not have to be that good to make it on Tour because there was no way I would ever have that much game...ever.

Hi ship. Was wondering how you deal with distractions/ poor etiquette from your playing partners when you're playing a casual round. I guess it's possible you never have to deal with that stuff (chatter, movement etc.) because everyone wants to watch you hit- but I'm hoping you have some experience with that. Is there some state of mind that makes you immune to that, or does it bother you like it does me?

It really doesn't bother me in a casual round...I have a buddy who is non-stop chatter the entire round but he expects silence when it is his turn. We always just tell him to jump off a cliff. I rarely if ever play with anyone who isn't one of my good friends in a casual round (never randomly paired with people I don't know) so we are all close enough that we can tell each other to shut the f up as need be. Is it a friend being loud or randoms? Actually it shouldn't matter, tell the person to shut up.

You guys ask some really weird questions

It's more like guys who discuss where the bets are at when you're teeing off. They might be in a cart 50 ft away talking quietly, but you can hear them. Or someone's on their cell on the other side of the fairway. Or a high handicapper stands on the other side of the hole when your putting. I've played a lot of golf (was a 2 at one point, now a 4) and always thought that at some point you overcome that and it doesn't bother you. If I tell someone to shut up or move, it makes it worse because then I'm thinking that I should be focused enough to where that **** doesn't bother me. I'm probably just wired that way and will never overcome it.

Acknowledge the thought and let it go...don't try to "not think" about it. Just acknowledge whatever is distracting you and go back to the shot.

Spenda...you seem quite knowledgeable, are you in the biz?

Speaking of Duval, it reminded me of a funny (to me) story.
In '98, when Duval was at his best, a good buddy of mine was paired with David and Corey Pavin the first two days at Callaway Gardens.

After Thursday's round, I asked him about his day.

"I have seen how golf is supposed to be played!" he says.
"The guy just absolutely pures it. 20 yds. by me and right down the middle.
Every iron like a laser at the hole. Every putt is either in or burns the edge.
Shot 68 and made it look like the easiest thing ever.
Phenomenal!"
I was a bit taken back from this gushing, because my buddy hits it long and is full of self confidence. I've never heard him brag on anyone else's game.

"So how about Pavin?" I asked.

"Oh my god, what a joke! The guy is awful. Can't play a lick. Short AND crooked. He was all over the map and didn't hit one solid shot all day.
On one par 3 he laid the sod over the ball and left it 30 yds. short of the front bunker."

"What'd he shoot?!"

"69."

I grew up playing at Gleneagles CC in Dallas (Plano) Texas. Fred Couples and Pavin were both members there and I was able to play with both a few times, Fred more than Pavin. Watching the difference in those two up close and personal was crazy...and they have the same amount of wins on Tour at 15. I have no idea how Pavin has won 15 times on Tour other than he just gets it done, whatever that means!

My funny (to me) Fred story is we were playing one time and he hit a 3 iron to 8 inches on 8 for eagle to go 8 under and then decided he wanted to go to the Ranger game that afternoon and said let's get out of here. I pointed out he was 8 under through 8 on a par 71 (59 in play) and he responded, and I quote, "yeah but we can go sit in a box and watch the game and have some other games on the TVs". Oh, good point, I didn't think about it that way.

Great story.

former member of the "biz"

awesome.

Any word from KD1987 if he is trying to play this year or updates?

I wish I had these sorts of insights 4 years ago :-/ I never had the motivation to spend the time on my game the way that I know I had to, and now that I don't have the time (i.e. I go to school full time and I work pretty close to full time), I am finding that all I want to do is get better.

Pipe dream? Absolutely. Still sucks not to have that opportunity though. At least I'm an Am again and can play in some events throughout the year.

Been going through my old notes to work on my mental game while walking on the tread-desk and came across this thread I saved in a word doc.

I think for those of you trying to improve it is a very good thread. It was the first time I ever commented on 2+2 and was fresh off my year on the Nationwide Tour so I was thinking pretty clear and with fresh hindsight.

Anyhoo, just thought I would bump it for those of you trying to learn that might not have seen it since it has been dead since 2010. It's not that long so it's a pretty quick read but I think there is a ton to get from it.

Fantastic bump!

Read through the whole thing as I just got back into golf this summer, great read even for a scrub like myself.

Read the thread - glad you bumped it.

I'll pass it on to a couple of young guys at my club who had high expectations (went to golf college), but decided to do other stuff after the first year or so.

They made the right choice.

Hah!

Good eye, sir.

Great bump

Thanks for the bump.

Ship, have you ever tried meditation? The idea of acknowledging a thought and letting it float away is something I've heard listening to guided meditations. I'm very much a novice, but it seems like a great way to train your mind to quiet down.

I haven't, but that is the premise. It is almost impossible to force yourself to not think of something, but it is actually quite simple to recognize what you are being distracted by and then move back to the task at hand.