The PGA Tour's new venue for the 2007 Honda Classic could not have been a better choice. Jack Nicklaus' redesign of the Champion Course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida proved to be quite the stern test, and the tournament itself, in many ways, took on the feel of a major tournament. The fairways were narrow; there was U.S. Open-type rough, and of course, Florida's swirling winds to contend with. It was a rare PGA TOUR event where making a par meant you were gaining on the field. Thankfully, the greens were not as firm and fast as a major, or the scores might have been really high. And of course, you had a four-man playoff to heighten the drama a little more. Congratulations to Mark Wilson for his stirring win.
With the course and conditions as they were, the golf course did not yield many low scores. There was a playoff at 5-under par and the 36-hole cut was 4-over par. Again, this is not your normal scoring for a PGA TOUR event. As we all know, and they like to tell us, these guys are really good. Consider, the winning scores at PGA TOUR events thus far this year are: -14, -14, -17, -15, -21, -20, -16, and -14. Until this week that is, where it will be -5. This tells you of course that the venue was very tough, but also that the leaders really had to be at the top of their games.
We all know from week to week, the player who wins has a sharp short game and their putting stats are near the top. But this week, before the players could worry about their short game, their tee shots were more critical than usual. The high rough was looming and should their tee shot be off the mark, they had no idea what kind of lie they might have to deal with. Often, conditions allow them to drive freely and worry about consquences on their next shot. But not this week. This week, it was imperative to find the fairway. Sound familiar?
You need to be a straight driver of the ball for your game, just like the TOUR players had to be this week. This is one of the two things that stood out in this year's Honda Classic. About 85% of the golfers playing this great game slice the ball. This equates to lack of distance and direction -- not good when you are frustrated and under pressure. What can the beginner or intermediate player do to fix this? Concentrate on IMPACT. The reason most golfers slice is because the clubface is open at impact. IMPACT is the most important position in the golf swing. If the clubface is open at IMPACT, it produces more sidespin because the driver as designed, has very little loft. For the short term, look at your equipment and determine what loft the club you tee off with has. If it's a low lofted club, 8 to 9 degrees, you will be much better off changing to 10.5 to 12.5 degrees. Believe me, improving your driving will benefit every part of your game. For example Jose Coceres, for 2 consecutive weeks now, has driven his ball in play consistently and has been in playoffs in the last two TOUR events. In fact, last week he lost in a playoff to another guy who drives the ball pretty straight: Fred Funk. If he continues to keep his long game this strong, he will win soon. See the correlation? Straight drives mean better approach shots which lead to better scores.
The second thing that stood out was how Mark Wilson, who won his first PGA TOUR event, was able to hit some long putts when he really needed them. He canned about a 45-foot putt on hole 16 to stay tied for the lead on Sunday. Mark also made a 30-foot putt on the 1st playoff hole to stay in contention. Those were two long pressure putts at very critical times in the round. Even though you may not win a PGA TOUR event with your long putting, it will without doubt, help improve your score. Here's a drill to practice the next time you go to the putting green. This is more for distance then for your stroke. Walk out about 30 feet from the hole, that's about 10 normal walking paces. Now take your address position and aim your putter face square to your intended starting line. Turn your head and look at the hole. Keeping your head looking at the hole, make your stroke. After dedicated practice, your feel for distance will improve tremendously.
One additional note about Mark's win. What great class he showed in handling a two-stroke penalty that he called on himself last Friday. There is a good chance this tournament would never have even gone to a playoff had he not done so, but he did, he handled it graciously, and now he's a PGA TOUR champion. Good for him.
Finally, the Champion Course at PGA National has held the 1983 Ryder Cup and the 1987 PGA Championship. It surely stood up to the best players then and continues to challenge the best players of today. For those of you committed to improving your game, you can also challenge this course and any others -- on your terms!
Rick Krebs is the PGA Director of Instruction at Turf Valley Resort, Conference Center and Spa in Ellicott City, Maryland. He was named the 2001 Mid-Atlantic Teacher of the Year and has also been cited by Golf Magazine as a Top Regional Teacher from 2003-2007 and as a Golf Digest Top Teacher in the State in 2005-2006. He can be reached at rickkrebsgolf@yahoo.com or by phone at 443-286-1986. You can learn more about Rick at his website, www.rickkrebs.com.
