Pádraig Harrington – Do Not Count Anyone Out

March 20, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 12 Comments

Last Appearance of the Duck! Going Back the UK this weekend!

Going Back to the UK!

Recently, I wrote about the ‘new normal’ in golf. Things are a changing and many of us golf fans are excited to see what is in-store for professional golf. I am convinced that 2015 is the year of the young golfer! These high-speed low-drag players have come into their own and are ready to show that they are ready for the big league!

Every time the conversation focuses on the young players, pundits, like myself, suggest that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson still have plenty of game left. They will not go away quietly and have the experience to understand that on any given weekend, anything can happen. But are these two aging superstars the only aging professionals worth mentioning?

What about players like Padraig Harrington? This 43 year-old veteran might be considered a journey man, but I am not sure he falls into that category. This is a great discussion for another time. Regardless, Harrington surprised the golfing world this year by winning The Honda Classic. Harrington has missed 5 cuts, finished T56, T75 and T73 in his starts before his huge win. Additionally, he missed the cut the very next week at the Valspar Championship.

If golfing experts were to check Harrington’s last three years on the PGA Tour, they would suggest that it was time for him to fade away into the sunset. Before his win at The Honda Classic, Harrington was rated 297th in the world; after the win, he jumped to 82nd, and now sits at 80th. His win has changed his golfing financial future because he will be able to keep his card for the foreseeable future.

Should we really be surprised that Harrington won a PGA Tour tournament in 2015? He is a 3-time Major champion (The Open 2007, 2008 and PGA Championship 2008), PGA Player of the Year (2008), PGA Tour Player of the Year (2008), European Tour Order of Merit (2006) and has 35 wins worldwide! So I ask again, Should we really be surprised that Harrington won a PGA Tournament in 2015?

Many armchair experts would still say ‘yes’, the stats show that Harrington’s win at The Honda Classic was a fluke! I suggest that it was unanticipated, but not really surprising! Harrington winning is not any more surprising that Nick Taylor winning for the first time at the Sanderson Farms Championship in November 2014. The only difference is that Harrington has a proven track record and knows how to handle the press of a Sunday afternoon.

It may sound like I am contradicting myself, but actually I am not. I do believe that the young players are taking over professional golf. But, it would not be wise to count out all the veterans, every week. As Padraig Harrington proved, in professional golf – Do Not Count Anyone Out!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The New Normal in Golf

March 18, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

The new normal in professional golf is here. The younger players have forced their way to the top of the golfing world with no regrets. The fear of competing against players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson is long gone. The only thing left for these aging superstars is a healthy respect from for the path they blazed in helping to create the new normal.

It is all over the news that Tiger Woods is not playing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend. Much to the chagrin of legend Arnold Palmer, Woods admits that his game is not ready for the PGA Tour. Only Woods knows for sure, but something tells me that he is right. Woods’ focus is on the Masters in a couple of weeks and I for one believe that is where his focus should be; I hope he is healthy and ready to compete in the first Major of 2015.

Phil Mickelson has not played well for over a year. He has sparks of greatness, but the consistency is just not there. I am a huge Mickelson fan and I am not sure if his game is in as bad a shape as Woods, but he is definitely not the Mickelson of old. I guess I cannot expect him to play like he is 25, but old thoughts die slow.

Not a year ago, I wrote that the old guard were not ready to relinquish the top spots in golf. I am here to say that times have changed; and changed quickly. The new younger players have come out from the shadows of the aging veterans quicker than expected. Each week, a new player rises to the top of the leaderboard to claim the top prize. Maybe this is what we have to look forward too; a different winner each week.

I will have to say that the last nine holes and the four hole playoff last week at the Valspar Golf Championship was extremely exciting. Just when everyone thought Spieth, Reed or O’Hair was out of contention, they made a fantastic shot to recover. It truly was exciting and hopefully we will see more finishes like that one in the future!

It seems every week, there is a new player popping up on the leaderboard. The return of Dustin Johnson is another example of a great young player standing up to be heard. His play since returning to golf has been outstanding and he is now considered a top contender at all the Majors this year. Is it possible that this trend of resurging players can continue through the entire 2015 professional golf season?

Let’s not forget about Rory McIlroy. With a slow start on the PGA Tour this year, he is too talented not be step-up and slay all comers! With only three weeks left before the Masters, the golfing world will see the real McIlroy return to form. I predict it will not happen this weekend at Bay Hill, but within the next three weeks he will start to peak at the right time for Augusta. As per my predictions at the beginning of the year, Rory McIlroy will win the 2015 Masters!

The new normal has arrived in professional golf. Although a few players will continue to win more than most, the days of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson crushing the field for years is over. We can expect to see many new winners and even greater challenges for professional golfers to stay at the top of the world rankings.

Personally, I’m excited about the recent changes in golf. Although I will always cheer for Phil Mickelson, I cannot help but embrace the new normal in professional golf!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

YouTube and Golf

March 16, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 14 Comments

YouTube is a fantastic resource for golfers! There are literally millions of videos on every aspect of golf and I am not shy to say that I have watched most of them!!! Many of you are thinking: Now, if I have told you once, I have told you a million times to stop exaggerating!

Okay, back to reality. If you as a student of the game and you are not using YouTube, my question is “Why Not?”

As many of you know, I use YouTube videos extensively in my blogs. I always give the make credit, but like experts to show us their view of golf.

There are many different views about golf and YouTube will show you them all. That is why blogs like mindbodygolf, All About Golf, Hit It Solid, The Goofy Game of Golf Trying to Execute the Answer, Golf is Mental and 36aday (to name a few and I could list many more) help sort out the wheat from the chaff! I subscribe to about 15 YouTube channels and that number is slowly growing.

So as you surf YouTube looking for great golf videos, stop by and check out The Grateful Golfer channel. They are rough and I am just starting, but I think you will appreciate the effort. Here is a quick look at a video I made last year!

Do you use YouTube? If so, what are your favorite golf videos?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links….in a month!

Drive for Show – Putt for Dough!

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 11 Comments

Putting for Dough!

Drive for Show – Putt for Dough is nothing new to any fanatic golfer. For some, it is how they build their golf game. Yet for others, it means absolutely nothing!

My question is: which is more important for an amateur golfer: driving for show or putting for dough?

Over the past 15 years, the top professional golfers have increased their average driving distance by 20 yards. In 2000, John Daly was the only player to average over 300 years. Today, there are 25 players who average over 300 yards off the tee! I think the increase in distance can be attributed to technology, but also the philosophy of “get it as close to the green and let your short game take over!” We can thank Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for that shift in thought.

For professional golfers, both driving distance and putting are equally important. Their GIR, putting, and scrambling percentages have not changed much in the past 15 years. And except for Tiger Woods in 2000 (who was a full 2 strokes per round better than everyone else) the average number of strokes per round has not changed.

Therefore, even though professional golfers are 20 yards farther off the tee in 2015, not much else has changed since 2000. If this is the case, how do all these stats apply to the amateur golfer?

Well, the short answer is that they really do not apply!

Amateur golfers are a different. They are not at the top of the sport and most have swing issues that professional golfers do not contend with week in and week out. Most amateurs already have a job and it is not on the golf course, so their ability to focus and dedicate time to improving is usually limited.

Keeping all this in mind, where should amateurs focus their efforts to become a better golfer. I have discussed quick fixes in earlier posts, but ultimately amateurs should use Pareto’s Principle of 80/20. I recommend amateurs with a handicap greater than 15 to focus 80% of their time on their short game (25 yards and closer). This number will slide slightly as their scores lower. But, focusing on your short game as a higher handicapper is how to make the best use of your practice time.

I am 2.8 handicap and spend 60% of my time practicing my short game. In my short game practice, I include shots from 25 yards, 15 yards, 5 yards, out of the sand, odd lies and of course putting. I refine my focus to address known areas of weakness in my game, but for the most part practice the short shots mentioned above. Consistently practicing my short game has lower my scores over the years and will be the main focus as I reach my goal of being a scratch golfer this year.

Driving for show – putt for dough is a very good saying. I believe that putting for dough is the most important part of this statement! What do you think?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!