Many people think that Confucius is only talking about life. Well, I would suggest that it definitely applies to golf as well. As we travel through our golf journey, we attain a great deal of knowledge that helps or changes our game. The real test is whether we are willing to use that know ledge properly. See what Rory McIlroy has to say:
Knowing our golf game and accepting our limitations is a great first step to playing great golf. Even McIlroy states that professionals will avoid low percentage shots. To me, that just makes sense. After playing thousands of rounds of golf, I realize that I am still learning about my game. It has taken some time, but I also accept that certain aspects of my game (although it is uncomfortable) need to change in order to play better golf. I choose to continue to learn about golf and hopefully that will transition into something better than it is today.
Watching professional golfers is great fun. The results from the elite players is something that amateurs can only dream about accomplishing. The crisp sound of contact with their driver is pure. I have heard that sound once or twice in my career, but not at the level of a professional golfer. Their amazing results off the tee drive many golfers to spend more time hitting the big stick vice working on their game and lowering their score. That, however, is a discussion for another day. I wonder, how far do amateurs actually hit their drives on a regular basis?
Congratulations to Wyndham Clark for winning the 2023 US Open Championship; it is always a great feeling to win and the national championship is icing on the cake. It was a tremendous round by him and Rory McIlroy as they battled for golf supremacy.
Watching all the great players navigate the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) under perfect conditions was exciting. Like two heavy weights, Clark and McIlroy traded great shot for great shot. Neither wanting to blink. The deciding factor for the final results was Clark’s tremendous ability to recover again and again.
The two notable points that every golfer should take away from watching the final round was the importance of a great short game and hitting the ball in play off the tee. Clark demonstrated that a great short game is the ultimate equalizer when missing the green. His touch around the deadly LACC landscape proved that all golfers should focus on their short game if they ever want to shoot lower golf scores. Every time Clark looked like he was in trouble, he made a seemingly miraculous shot to save par. McIlroy’s short game was not quite as sharp, but amazing nonetheless. Having a strong short game is vital to those players wanting to consistently shoot low golf scores.
The second and equally important takeaway was keeping the ball in play off the tee. Clark and McIlroy demonstrated that playing off the short grass allowed for multiple opportunities to play different shots into the challenging greens. Each time they missed the fairway (which was rare) they opened the door for their opponent to press the error. Unfortunately, neither was able to take advantage of the opportunity. Looking at the scorecards, Clark played a roller coaster round and McIlroy was steady as it goes. Both had chances to pull away, but the USGA setup and the LACC conditions did allow for any amazingly low scores….except for one.
I wanted to give a shout out to Tommy Fleetwood who shot an amazing seven under 63. This score is crazy low considering most players struggled to shoot par. Congrats to Tommy!
The 2023 US Open Golf Championship was fun to watch. It was a nailbiter for the fans. I appreciated all the stellar golf and wish all the players good fortune moving forward.
Anyone who follows golf was not surprised by the scores shot yesterday at the 2023 US Open Championship. Most of the top players shot around par and were grinding on most shots. It only takes a mistake or two and their scores were dramatically affected. Conversely, shots like Scottie Scheffler made on the 17th hole that resulted in an eagle can push their score in a positive direction. Regardless, LACC is playing as expected and the final round today will see players lamenting over every shot. If you want to see professional golfers put all their skills to the test, then today is the day to watch golf.
The Grateful Golfer 