The name of the venue may have changed to the PODS Championship, and the date may have moved up to earlier in the year, but the Copperhead course at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club has remained the severe test of golf it has always been. The high rough, narrow and firm fairways, hard and fast greens, and arguably the toughest stretch of closing holes on the PGA TOUR make the "snake" a strict examination of a players resolve.
There were several notable moments in this week's event that articles could be written about. The fantastic opening round of Cliff Kresge, the second round charge of Stephen Leaney, or the three round show of consistency of players like Chris DiMarco, Heath Slocum and K.J. Choi could definitely warrant articles regarding game-improvement. However, it was the third round course-record score of 62 posted by Mark Calcavecchia that gets my attention. Not so much that he shot the round of the tournament, but rather the position it put him in going into the final round. Tied for the lead with Heath Slocum, Calcavecchia was able to shoot a final round 1-under par (70) to win for the first time in over two years. The close of the tournament did not come easy for him, however, with bogeys on two out of the last four holes. As it turned out, they were bogeys he could afford to make.
The idea of "choking" on the golf course has always been thought of as a bad thing for players, but the reality is that it can actually be the most important thing for a golfer to do in order to reach that next plateau of success. It is through these set backs -- or "choking" -- that we, as players, gain experience and learn the tough lessons about ourselves that will help us in future rounds. A good friend and mentor of mine, PGA Professional Dan Monday, once told me, "Always try to put yourself in a position to choke." It took me some time to realize that, it is when we are in that position that we test the limits of our capabilities as players. Choking is never a failure. It is only the fear of doing so that creates weakness in our game. Two-time U.S. Open champion, Curtis Strange, once said "We all choke. You are not human if you haven't." As esteemed golf writer Doug Ferguson recently wrote, the term "choke" is tough to define, much less apply.
Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer ever, is renowned for having won 18 major championships. What isn't discussed as much is that he came in second-place in majors 19 times. Tiger Woods would still have an eight event winning streak on the PGA TOUR had he converted a four foot straight putt at the Accenture Match Play Championship. Last week Boo Weekley missed a three-foot putt to win the Honda Classic. This week, Heath Slocum missed a short putt to take the tournament to a playoff. Next week, another great player will fail to execute in a crucial time. The key will be, what will they learn from that failure?
One of the most overlooked aspects of game improvement is dealing with the pressures that come with becoming a better player. Whether it is a novice golfer trying to break 100, an intermediate player looking for their first round in the 70's, or the touring professional being in contention to win a tournament, there are different "personal ceilings" that each one must break through in order to get to the next level of their development. When any player continues to push their limits, and the desire for success outweighs the penalties of failure, they will find their own personal winners circle.
Calcavecchia's win this week is a perfect example to all of us about always trying to put ourselves in a position to choke. It is only by doing so that we as players, can reach new heights of our own performance -- and as fans, can watch the very best players in the world try to do the same. Congratulations to Mark Calcavecchia on winning the PODS Championship.
PGA Golf Professional, Jeff Shores is currently the Head Golf Professional at The Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A native Californian, Jeff has spent the last 15 years teaching high school, collegiate and amateur golfers to reach new levels in their golf endeavors. Jeff is also at the forefront of PGA Professionals taking their teaching skills to the internet with his golf blog and podcasts. For more information on PGA Professional, Jeff Shores, log onto www.golfingwithjeff.com or contact him at pgajeff@charter.net.
