There were several remarkable aspects of the golf from the Shell Houston Open that I noticed as I watched this past week. Watching Johnson Wagner set the course record on Saturday, and then watching Bubba Watson tie that record -- well, that was just amazing. And seeing Adam Scott go 45 holes without a bogey -- including that unbelievable par on the last hole after hitting into the water -- on his way to winning his fifth career title, well that was pretty special. But what really struck me was how the players out there really were able to turn it on right when it seemed that the conditions would make any kind of quality golf especially difficult.
Before play could start on Saturday, Mother Nature dumped almost 1.5 inches of rain on the Redstone Golf Club's Tournament Course, resulting in the PGA Tour's longest rain delay of the year -- 6 hours. The rain left the golf course bunkers like wet cement and the fairways so saturated that the PGA Tour Officials were forced to allow the players to play "lift, clean and place". Conditions for Saturday's round at The Shell Houston Open were the kind that would have derailed many an amateur from their game, or maybe even forced them off the course altogether. But the TOUR players were so undaunted, that two of them set a new course record; and overall, the field had an average score of 70.50 after averaging well above par the first two days.
So what do they do know or what do they do that prepares them for these situations? How do they excel when conditions say they should barely be able to tolerate? I was able to discuss these questions with my friend and PGA TOUR player Dicky Pride to see what insight he could add from a TOUR player's perspective. The answers are definitely something that you can use the next time you are playing in less than ideal conditions.
First of all, they are smart about how they spend their time waiting out a weather delay. After the golf clubs are secured, they eat food that doesn't spike the energy level into the stratosphere only to have it come crashing down an hour later. They stay away from the staples of most golfers, diets sodas and candy bars. How many of you do that? A TOUR player is more likely to reach for a grilled chicken salad or hit the pasta station. Then it's off to the locker room to rest and relax with their buddies and talk about who they had in the NCAA Pool, or who they think will win the upcoming ballgame. The important thing is to get off of their feet and rest. If the round has been more than a little rocky, some quiet time in a corner may be in order, as is some light stretching.
When it is time to play they find a different golf course waiting. Gone are the hard fast greens, firm fairways, and soft bunkers. Instead, they will now find mushy fairways, soft greens, and concrete bunkers. Each shot is now a potential disaster looming -- or at least, more so than usual.
Iron shots must be hit precisely on wet fairways to prevent laying the sod over it. You can do this by playing the ball a little back in the stance, taking one half club more than you would usually use, making a three-quarter backswing and following through to a full finish. This shot will fly a little lower than the normal shot but using it makes it much easier to make solid contact with the ball which is a must on wet fairways.
The soft greens pose the TOUR players more trouble than the average golfer because of the spin that players of that ability put on the ball. The backspin makes it difficult to keep the ball near the hole. To counter this challenge, they try to hit more half and three-quarter shots to back pins, and allow their ability to spin the ball -- and some help from gravity -- to get close to front pins.
In the bunkers, the clubface needs to be square instead of open. An open face on a sand wedge activates the bounce of the club which keeps the club from digging into the sand. However, in a wet bunker that will make the wedge skip off of the sand and force the leading edge of the club to hit the middle of the golf ball -- sending it hurtling into the lip of the bunker or over the green into whatever jail the architect's devilish mind could think up.
Putting is easier, but even here a change has to be made. Wet greens are a little slower so a player can be a little more aggressive, but the putting lines have to change. A ball that is rolling across a wet green picks up water which causes the center of the ball to become heavier and makes it harder for the slope to make the ball curve. All in all a TOUR player has an easier time adjusting to these conditions as they have been through all this many times before, and know precisely how to deal with each situation.
Golf was never meant to be played in perfect conditions everytime you want to tee it up. If you have great weather, great for you. But don't let rain or mushy fairways ruin your round. In fact, knowing how the TOUR players handle -- and even excel -- under these conditions should give you hope, and an advantage, the next time you encounter similar weather.
Kevin Weeks is Director of Instruction at Cog Hill Golf & CC in Lemont, IL. Kevin was the 2005 Illinois Section Teacher of the Year and is the number 2 ranked instructor in the State of Illinois by Golf Digest Magazine. Kevin's teaches all areas of the game, but specializes in the short game. Kevin is the inventor of The Dynamic Impact Indicator, a system that uses laser technology to pinpoint the exact aim of the putter at address and impact. Over 35 PGA Tour Players visited the Putting Lab or work with Kevin at tour sites. Kevin also has a passion for developing complete junior golfers. In the past 4 years 42 students have qualified for the Illinois State High School Championships with 12 students finishing in the top 20 including the 2002 state champion. He can be reached at Coghillpro@aol.com or through his website www.Kevinweeks.com.
