The Masters – Day 3

April 10, 2016April 10, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

The last day of The Masters will test the inner calm of all the players!

JORDAN SPIETH! I really do not have to say much more. Leading for 7 rounds in a row and looking strong enough to make it 8. If he continues to play well he will join the élite group of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as back to back champions at the Masters! Although he struggled on 17 and 18, his play to date is the highlight of the tournament!

However, there were other highlights of Day 2. I am not sure what you think are the high points, but here are mine.
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Jordan Spieth Wins the 2015 Masters

April 12, 2015April 12, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Congratulations to Jordan Spieth for winning his first green jacket. His steady play on Sunday was more than enough to put his first Major in his pocket.

Spieth’s seesaw round was a bit of a surprise to some, but not unexpected by most. His ability rebound for a bogey is what makes champions. The pundits suggested that before the round, Spieth should play more cautiously than the previous three rounds; but with 6 birdies and 3 bogies, he was playing flat-out. The question on most experts mind this morning about how the double bogey on the 17th hole on moving day would affect his game was quickly answered. It didn’t! Jordan Spieth earned his first Major Championship by winning the 2015 Masters….perhaps, the first of many.

Other notables today were all the players between 4th and 9th position. In reality after everything was all said and done, they were playing for second place. Their low scores were just a little to late. In most tournaments, one exceptional round would put a player in contention to win, but a Major, not so much. It takes at least two and usually three great rounds to win any Major. But, hats off that group for making a great showing down the stretch.

Jordan Spieth was not my first choice to win the 2015 Masters. I thought that Rory McIlroy would complete his career grand slam, but not this year. This feat is very rare, but McIlroy has plenty of time to yet. Overall, I was 50/50 selecting players to win. Here is how I made out:

Phil Mickelson – T2
Jimmy Walker – T39
Jason Day – T28
Jordan Spieth – 1st
Rory McIlroy – 4th
Dark Horse – Matt Kuchar – T46

Overall, not too to bad. I did, however, think that Jimmy Walker would have played better at Augusta this year. He only stepped on to the Major’s scene last year, so he does not have the seasoning that other players have. Although he is considered one of the hottest players in golf right now, playing in a Major is extremely difficult and he may need a bit more seasoning before he is ready to compete at that level.

It was exciting to watch Jordan Spieth rise to the élite ranks by winning his first Major. At 21 years old, he has many years ahead where he can continue to excite the golfing world. He reminds me of a young Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods; hopefully he will be able to handle the new notoriety and stay in form for many years to come.

Again, Congratulations to Jordan Spieth on winning the 2015 Masters.

Bring on The Open!

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

Drive Chip & Putt Championship at the Masters

April 7, 2015April 6, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

The second annual Drive Chip & Putt Championship was held on 05 April 2015. This new tradition at the Masters sees 80 young talented golfers pitting their skills against each other and Augusta National. As I watch these budding superstars perform, I was amazed at their composure, understanding of golf, and sportsmanship! For a list of all the results check out the interactive leaderboard. Well done to all the competitors!

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

The 2015 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is open to boys and girls ages 7-15. Boys and girls will compete in separate divisions in four age categories: 7-9 years old; 10-11 years old; 12-13 years old; and 14-15 years old. There is a list of other criteria to be eligible and you can find the here. Needless to say, some of these young guns know how to play golf!

If you think that getting to this national event is easy, here is what each player has to do in 2015. Past winners are not invited back, they have to qualify each year. The 2015 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship will be conducted in four stages:

Local qualifying – to be conducted throughout May, June, July and August 2015 at 253 sites in 50 states.
Subregional qualifying – to be conducted throughout July and August, 2015 at 51 sites.
Regional qualifying – to be conducted throughout September, 2015 at 10 sites.
Championship final – to be conducted Sunday, April 3, 2016 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

As the name indicates, each player competes in each event Drive, Chip and Putt. They each have two balls for each skill and their results area accumulative to select a winner. Perfect score is 30 points over the three events. Besides having the pressure of competing against 9 other great players, the event was set at the historical Augusta National Golf Course; what a thrill!

During the Drive portion, the players had two chances to hit the ball within a grid that was 40-yard fairway width, length from 75 yards to 325 yards. The longest drive to stay within the grid was their score. I amazed to see that one of the 12-13 year old players could hit the ball 240+. The longest of the day was by a 15-year-old boy – 280+ yards!

Chipping was all about feel. Each player stood about 25 yards from the hole and chipped two balls. The winner had the lowest accumulative distances from the hole. Chipping in gave you a distance of 0. The best accumulative score for the girls was 4’1″ (chipped one in) and by a 9-year-old boy of 7’1″ (chipped one in). I enjoyed watching some of the young players adjust their something between the first and second shot.

Putting was fun to watch and the most challenging event. Each player putted one ball for two different locations. The first was a long uphill putt and the second was a much shorter downhill skater! The speed of the greens was a challenge and adjusting from an uphill to downhill putt proved to be challenging for some of the players! The best accumulative score for the girls was 6″ by a 9-year-old! The best accumulative score for the boys was 2’1″. Interestingly, quite a few of the young players putted cross-handed.

Many of the past Masters champions, like Bubba Watson and Mark O’Meara, were on hand to talk, cheer, and laugh with the young players. Having these great players on hand only added to the overall success of this national event. I enjoyed watching the future of golf. These young players demonstrated that anyone, at any age is capable of playing great golf. Congratulations to all the participants.

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

The Masters – What I Learned

April 14, 2014April 14, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

The 2014 Masters is in the books. For golfing enthusiasts, the first Major did not disappoint. Many pundits discussed the lack of charge by the players chasing Bubba Watson, but that is a discussion for another day. Personally, I did enjoy watching the professionals navigate a difficult course under ideal weather conditions. With no flat surface on Augusta National, many of the players used unique and creative shots to try to tame the beast.

Every time I watch a professional tournament, I expect to see something that will help improve my game. Sometimes it is big changes and others times it is the finer points of how to play specific shots that catches my attention. The Masters was no different. Therefore, I thought I would share what I learned at this years Masters that will improve my game:

Course Management. I have discussed this topic before, actually three times, but the recent Masters showed me something different. Course management is about setting up the next shot and playing to the strengths of your game, however it is now important to include making up for miss hits. Many of the players were forced to change their thought process during a hole due to hitting the ball in the wrong spot. Watching the top players adjust, like Watson on the 15th hole, changed how I look at course management!

Chipping or Putting. How many times did we hear the announcers talk about chipping or putting around the green? They made it quite clear that there are two schools as seen throughout the tournament. The older and more experienced players (Couples, Jimenez, Mickelson) chipped; the younger more adventurous players (Spieth, Blixt, McIlroy) putted. This whole issue will be addressed a future blog, but personally, I lean towards chipping….but I am an older more experience player!

Length Rules. Distance off the tee has always been important. After watching many of the players on the past weekend, it reinforces the thought that length rules. Hitting it long opens so many options for a player’s next shot. Bubba Watson’s drive on the 13th hole was an eye opener. Understanding that being closer to the green on your second shot is better, it is unbelievable the difference distance makes; therefore, as my season progresses one of my goals will be to hit the ball longer off the tee.

The three points are subtle, but are important. If you have the opportunity to watch the replay of the 2014 Masters maybe you will notice aspects of golf that will help your game. Maybe you have noticed something already, if you have, share – everyone is listening.

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